Alfred Hermida

Alfred Hermida is a Professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC), holding a joint appointment in the School of Journalism, Writing, and Media. He is renowned for his contributions to digital journalism, media innovation, and the societal impact of social media and artificial intelligence. Hermida was honored as a Fellow of the International Communication Association (ICA) in 2024, recognizing his transformative scholarly work in communication studies.

His career spans academic research, teaching, and leadership. Before joining UBC in 2006, he spent 16 years as a BBC journalist, including foundational roles in the BBC News website. As Director of UBC’s Graduate School of Journalism from 2015 to 2020, he secured major SSHRC grants, including two $2.5M Partnership Grants. He co-founded The Conversation Canada in 2017, a platform bridging academic research with public discourse.

Research focuses on journalism’s evolution amid technological shifts, including the Global Journalism Innovation Lab, a SSHRC-funded initiative examining innovation practices and policy frameworks shaping journalism’s future. His publications, such as Data Journalism and the Regeneration of News (2019) and Tell Everyone (2014), explore digital media’s role in information sharing and verification.

Hermida’s teaching spans media innovation, visual journalism, and research methods. Colleagues praise his triple threat: exceptional scholarship, pedagogy, and administrative leadership. His work consistently bridges theory and practice, emphasizing journalism’s societal relevance in an algorithm-driven world.