The Open Mind marks 70 years with global mayoral documentary series

The long-running PBS public affairs series The Open Mind is celebrating its 70th year with Mayors of the World, a documentary travelogue that spotlights civic leadership across cities in Europe and the Americas. The project underscores the show’s focus on democratic resilience, local governance and policy innovation as it looks to expand to Africa, Asia and Australia.

Why it matters: - The Open Mind is using its 70th anniversary to highlight city governments as a test case for democracy, accountability and policy experimentation. - Mayors of the World frames local leadership as a global story, with implications for civic resilience at a time of political strain and institutional distrust. - The series positions journalism as a bridge to international dialogue as traditional diplomacy narrows.

What happened: - The Open Mind, hosted by Alexander Heffner, launched Mayors of the World as an in-depth travelogue documentary series. - The project spans three continents, with stops including Athens, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Lisbon, Toronto, Santiago, Atlanta, Miami, Detroit, Midland, Texas, and New York City. - The series focuses on the civic and cultural lives of cities and the mayors who lead them. - The featured leaders include the youngest New York City mayor in a century, a survivor of an assassination attempt, the first big-city mayor to launch a vacancy tax, a mayor who built emergency housing from shipping containers, an engineering professor-turned-politician and a police officer who grew up amid a coup. - Heffner described the project as urgent journalism after President Trump’s re-election and the downsizing of the State Department and traditional diplomacy.

The details: - The Open Mind has been recognized by The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Economist, The Guardian, Rolling Stone, The Hollywood Reporter, TIME, PEOPLE Magazine, CNN, DW and NPR. - The Guardian called the program “all about respectful conversation in a cacophonous world” and said Heffner “still knows how to land a punch.” - Heffner told The New York Times that there is “a democratic and civic accountability that's almost unavoidable if you're the mayor.” - The production team says the series aims to expand to Africa, Asia and Australia if support continues. - This year, The Open Mind also aired a special at Santiago’s Museum of Memory and Human Rights with former Chilean president and UN leader Michelle Bachelet. - One viewer called that episode validating and described historical memory museums as anti-fascist tools that center victims and encourage reflection. - Over the past two years, Heffner also led Breaking Bread with Alexander, which profiled figures in American political life over meals and activities in their home states. - Guests on that series included U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senators Lisa Murkowski, Mark Kelly and Raphael Warnock, and Governors Wes Moore, Spencer Cox, Mark Gordon and Maura Healey. - Breaking Bread with Alexander was distributed on Bloomberg TV and Bloomberg Originals as well as on The Open Mind. - During the 70th year, The Open Mind is posting landmark episodes on social media and producing new conversations with science authors. - Commemorative anniversary episodes with MS NOW's Lawrence O'Donnell, PBS's Judy Woodruff and Elijah Wiesel are available to stream. - Heffner is the host of The Open Mind and creator of Mayors of the World and Breaking Bread with Alexander. - His interviews and documentaries have appeared on PBS and Bloomberg TV. - He is also coauthor of A Documentary History of the United States and has covered culture, politics and civic life since 2008. - Heffner has received honors from the University of Denver, Franklin Pierce University, the University of North Dakota, Yale University and Johns Hopkins University. - He has lectured at institutions including the Planet Word Museum, the Alabama Humanities Alliance, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum, the FDR Presidential Library & Museum and several universities. - The Open Mind was founded in 1956 and is the longest-running series in U.S. public media history. - The program was the platform for Martin Luther King Jr.'s first-ever TV appearance and introduced him, Malcolm X and other civil rights leaders to the American public. - The Washington Post described the series in 2016 as “a radical approach to talk in a troubled time.” - The show’s mission is to encourage nuanced understanding and active participation in American democracy through conversations on politics, media, science, technology, the arts and civic life. - Notable past guests include Elie Wiesel, Milton Friedman, Gloria Steinem, Ruth Westheimer, John Hope Franklin, Derrick Bell, Robert Redford, Stephen Breyer, Bill Frist, Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg, Maria Ressa, Bryan Stevenson, Salman Rushdie, Annette Gordon-Reed and Kathleen Hall Jamieson.

Between the lines: - The mayoral focus reflects a broader editorial bet that local government can reveal more about democratic health than national politics alone. - The emphasis on cities across different political systems suggests the series is looking for common governance problems and practical fixes rather than partisan debates. - The anniversary programming also reinforces The Open Mind’s identity as a long-running archive of public affairs, civil rights and intellectual exchange.

What's next: - The Open Mind plans to share more landmark episodes across social media throughout its 70th year. - The series is also producing additional conversations with authors working in science. - With continued backing, Heffner wants to take Mayors of the World to Africa, Asia and Australia. - More anniversary interviews are expected to keep the show’s focus on civic life and democratic debate.