UC to host PBS journalist Alexander Heffner
Talk to explore the impact of current media and political climate on democracy
By Bryn Dippold
Alexander Heffner, a national PBS correspondent and host of "The Open Mind," will host a one-hour virtual event at the University of Cincinnati on Friday, March 4. During the event, titled “Civil Discourse in an Uncivil Age,” Heffner will preview and discuss his work “Pandemic and Insurrection in the USA: An Era of Cruel Feelings.”
The event will be presented through a collaboration between the UC College of Arts & Sciences, the department of journalism and the Taft Research Center.
Professor of political science and interim head of the journalism department Brian Calfano organized the event, and says he believes that the UC community can benefit from Heffner’s perspective.
PBS correspondent and host of "The Open Mind" Alexander Heffner.
"Our form of government requires us to come together and figure out how we want the country to be,” Calfano says. “Of course, this doesn't mean we agree. We may even dislike each other at times. This is all part of human nature. The problem is when disagreement and dislike move into the extreme for sustained periods. We're now in such a time.
"Mr. Heffner's work provides us a critical opportunity to understand how we ended up in this situation and how we might work our way out of it. This effort is not for the faint of heart, and resolution will be slower than all of us would like. But everyone in the UC community will benefit from considering Mr. Heffner's perspective, and that's why we are pleased to make him available."
Heffner will discuss the effects of divisiveness on discourse, campaigns and governance as well as the influence of new media, dis/misinformation and “filter bubbles” that polarize society.
Heffner, whose talk is a part of the latest edition of his volume "A Documentary History of the United States," has covered American politics, civic life and Millennials since the 2008 presidential campaign. The next volume of "A Documentary History of the United States" will be released on June 28, 2022.
The virtual event is free to the public via Zoom, and registration is required here. The event will be held on Friday, March 4 starting at 12:30 p.m.
Featured image at top: Aerial view of UC's Uptown West campus. Photo/UC Creative + Brand
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