Social media is fuelling our human urge to share, affecting the information we depend on to make smart decisions, from choosing politicians to doing business to raising money for charity. Tell Everyone delves into contemporary culture to reveal how social media has become the planet's nervous system—amplifying the power of individuals, informing our choices and shaping how we learn about our world.
Writing with journalistic flair but with academic rigour, online news pioneer and social media maven Alfred Hermida lays bare why we feel compelled to share news, gossip and information, and always have. Every day more than 500 million messages are sent on Twitter, 800 million people share four billion stories, links, photographs and videos on Facebook. Every minute, 100 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube. And the flow is ever-increasing. In this new era of media saturation, what do we mean by “the news”? Is “the most trusted name in news” today a veteran anchor on television or an undergraduate tweeting from Tahrir Square in Cairo?
Tell Everyone spells out how our ability to create and share news is shaping the information we receive and depend on to make informed decisions, from choosing politicians to doing business. Drawing on historical examples, real-world experiences and leading research, Tell Everyone explains how the power of sharing is transforming how we understand and give meaning to world events.

Alfred Hermida's profile page

• Winner, National Business Book Award

ALFRED HERMIDA is an associate professor at the University of British Columbia, where his research and teaching focuses on digital journalism, social media and new forms of storytelling. A former BBC television, radio, and online journalist, he has also contributed to The Globe and Mail, The Wall Street Journal, The Times of London, and NPR. Among his numerous awards is a 2015 National Business Book Award and a 2010 Canadian Online Publishing Award for best blog, for Reportr.net. In 2011, he was recognized by the Digi Awards as one of Canada's top three social media mavens.

Winner of the 2015 National Business Book Award

"Insightful." —The Globe and Mail

"[Hermida is] wonderfully clear eyed about contemporary culture. . . . His lucid, energetic prose demonstrates his reportorial instincts. . . . As Hermida moves from topic to topic—politics, marketing, revolutions, labour unrest, etc.—he delivers many . . . thought-provoking insights." —The Globe and Mail
“This thoughtful and often amusing social history of social media shows how the abundance of information available today affects how we understand and give context to world events . . . [This] book succeeds by using real-life examples—from Tahrir Square to Anthony Weiner’s sexting mishap.” —Toronto Star
“Tell Everyone is an easy read with lots of takeaway . . . one of the first books to successfully explain the sharing logic of social media.” —Digital Journalism
"Hermida does a good job of presenting the happy side of social media and the effect it has on the world, while still acknowledging the drawbacks, imperfections, and misunderstandings of what has become a cultural norm. . . . Tell Everyone is an excellent read for anyone trying to make sense of the morphed landscape of technological advancement that we are all living in." —Vancouver Weekly

"Tell Everyone gives the reader the chance to inhabit what many think is a tantalising if largely unachievable environment—a world of reflection and context amid the chaos and opportunity of the constantly evolving media landscape. Hermida’s work highlights patterns of failure through the ages and clues about what behaviour stands the test of time. I found the book a very helpful guide to understanding the author’s main preoccupation of why we share and why it matters."
—David Walmsley, Editor-in-Chief, The Globe and Mail
"To share is human. This truth is so obvious that we routinely overlook it when caught up in competitive games and territorial defensiveness. But no one running a company, a team or a family stands a chance of success until they inspire and liberate our collaborative, communicative instincts. Hermida understands this and sees it in everything we do, make and build. The technology may be new but message is eternal: Information—like power—makes its greatest impact when it is shared." —Margaret Heffernan, author of A Bigger Prize: How We Can Do Better than the Competition

"In Tell Everyone Alfred Hermida explores the inverted news paradigm created by user-generated content and social media. His investigations give us critical insight into one of the most disrupted industries of the post internet era. A must read for anyone who cares about the way we now make and receive our news." —Michael Tippett, Director, New Products, Hootsuite Labs

"We all know social media has changed our world but Tell Everyone is the first ‎serious attempt to analyze what that change really means. From street protests to relationships to news coverage and everything in between, Alfred Hermida's fascinating new book answers the question 'what have we created and are we better off for it?' #youwanttoreadthisbook." —Peter Mansbridge

"An insightful and compelling look at how the communication and the distribution of information has changed—now that practically everyone has their own forum to ‘broadcast’ at their fingertips." —Kirstine Stewart

“An excellent analysis of how social media is changing social and media dynamics.” —John Stackhouse, former editor-in-chief of The Globe and Mail

“A wide-ranging book about what to be aware of, as social media becomes an increasingly important tool in our work or life. It will be of interest to you if you’re wondering how social media specifically impacts entertainment, activism, politics, international crises, marketing or business.” —New Canadian Media

“A remarkable book characterized by smart insights, a lively narrative and impressive research.” —J-source.ca

"A lightning fast read still chock-full of important takeaways. Whether you’re in public relations, journalism or advertising, Hermida’s carefully researched tome will help open your eyes to the hazards and potential inherent in today’s social mediasphere—and maybe leave you reassessing your next tweet, to boot.” —Communications @ Syracuse University