December 13, 2024
Sharing more than a meal
Alexander Heffner ’08 looks for common ground through civil discourseby Allyson Irish
Sitting down with others for a meal has always been a bonding experience, sometimes uniting those from very different backgrounds, perspectives, and persuasions. This is exactly the premise of Alexander Heffner ’08’s latest media project, Breaking Bread. The TV series, which airs on Bloomberg TV, was launched in 2023 with the goal of curating “conversations with American leaders who have taken democracy seriously enough to be public servants.”
Heffner has spent his entire career working in this space. He is co-author of A Documentary History of the United States and host of the weekly PBS show The Open Mind, which premiered in 1956 to address the challenges that Americans face and to consider topics related to civic life. This latest venture is unique, says Heffner, because of its focus on common ground and conversation.
“I want to have someone on Breaking Bread who is a credible and earnest conversationalist. Someone who genuinely wants to be in discussion, not to just present an agenda. It’s really an exchange and about learning from one another, without attack or sarcasm.”
Thus far, Heffner has shared meals with Senator John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota; Senator Tammy Baldwin, an openly lesbian Democrat from Wisconsin; and New Jersey Democrat Senator Cory Booker, among others. Heffner recently put out an invitation to President-elect Donald Trump, offering to converse over Big Macs and McFlurries.
As the United States moves on from its most recent presidential election, Heffner hopes Breaking Bread will not be an outlier. There is plenty of room for other—and more—media committed to reinforcing civil discourse.
“In the winner-take-all system that controls American politics and governance, discourse remains the singular and exceptional force to mediate, moderate, and facilitate compromise,” Heffner says. “I know there is still hope for the prospect of discourse.”
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