The essential guide to a transforming media landscape.

Every day 140 million messages are sent on Twitter and more than 900 million people share more than 80 million stories, links, photographs and videos on Facebook. Over an hour of video is uploaded to YouTube every second. In this new world of media saturation, what do we mean by "the news"? Is "the most trusted name in news" today a veteran anchor on TV or an undergraduate tweeting from Tahrir Square in Cairo?

We are sharing more content from more sources with more people, more often and more quickly than ever before. The day before yesterday, news and information was scarce, coming from a few newspapers or broadcasters. Suddenly there is an abundance. Now, not only are we able to connect and collaborate to create our own media, but for the first time have access to a global audience. Together we can help to bring down governments or chasten international corporations. We can hasten the spread of gossip, rumour and lies. We can market our products more widely and efficiently than ever--if we take the trouble to discover why people share and to whom.

Alfred Hermida, an award-winning professor and veteran BBC journalist, provides an essential guide to this transforming media landscape. Writing in a journalistic style but with academic rigor, he delves into how our ability to create and share the 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, he equips us with the knowledge and insight to navigate successfully the social streams of information that shape how we view the world.

Ideas and stories that would once only reach a handful can now reverberate across the world, amplifying the power and voice of citizens, changing how we see and react to the news. This book helps us to understand--and benefit from--a more open, vibrant and diverse media.