: social media going back to the times of cicero." this is about 30 minutes. >> best-selling author tom standage has a new book out called "writing on the wall." tom standage, what do cicero and twitter have in common? >> guest: well, the idea of the book is that social media is a very old idea. we think that it's recent and that only people alive today have ever done it. but really what i'm arguing there's a very long and rich tradition of social media that goes back in fact to the era of cicero, the late roman republican of the first century bc. the point is you don't need a digital network to do social media. if you have one it goes faster but cicero did it with papyrus rolls, and members of the legion were linked to him and they spoke to each other. and there were many other examples that occur throughout history. martin luther, using pamphlets. poetry. tom paine and his pamphlet, common sense, and the pamphlets were used in the runup to the revolutions. when we use social media today it's the a version of the way media operated. >> you write for wealthy romans the distinction betwe

." tom standage, what do cicero and twitter have in common? >> guest: well, the idea of the book is that social media is a very old idea. we think that it's recent and only people alive today have ever done it. but really what i'm arguing is there's a very long and rich tradition of social media that goes back to the era of cicero, so that's the first century b.c., and the point is that you don't need a digital network to do social media. if you have one, it goes faster, but you could actually do it in the old days. cicero did it with papyrus rolls and ore members -- other members of the roman elites were linked to him and all spoke to each other, and it's very much a social environment. but there are many examples that occur throughout history, martin luther and his use of pamphlets, thomas paine and his pamphlet, "common sense," and the way they were used more broadly in the runup to the american and french revolutions. really what i'm arguing is when we use social media today, it's a reversion, actually, to the way media operated for centuries before us. >> host: you write that for we

social media that goes back to the era of cicero, the late roman republic's in the first century bc. you don't need a digital network to do social media. if you have one it goes faster, but you can do it in the old days. cicero did it with the pyrus yrus rolls.th pap there have been many other examples that have occurred throughout history. martin luther and his use of pamphlets. tom payne and his pamphlet common sense. the way the pamphlets were used more broadly in the run-up to the french and american revolution. first 2000 years of social media tonight on c-span two. >> vice president ford was sworn in as president of the united states. this is the dress that mrs. ford was wearing at the swearing-in ceremony. she was less than excited about becoming first lady, but president ford encouraged her, saying we can do this. she resolved that if i'm going to have to do this, i'm going to have fun doing it. the fund for her started almost immediately. within 10 days she had a state dinner to entertain king hussein of jordan and it was something she had to prepare for in her role as first lad

union. >> only people alive today have ever done it. the era of cicero, the late roman republic. if you have one, it goes faster. messengers running to and fro. they all spoke to each other. there are cuts throughout history, martin luther using a pamphlet. payne in his pamphlet common sense. the american and the french revolution. >> the first 2000 years of social media. >> august 1974, vice president ford was sworn in as president of the united states. this is the dress that mrs. ford was wearing at the swearing-in ceremony. president ford encouraged her, saying we can do this. she resolves if i am going to have to do this, i will have fun doing it. had a stateys, she dinner to entertain the king of jordan. she hit the ground running. >> live on c-span and c-span three, also on c-span radio and c-span.org. >> at the white house today, president obama announced more investments for the national institute of health to combat aids. marking global aids day, the president was joined i secretary of state john kerry. >> hello. thank you. thank you everybody. thank you. everybody, please

era of cicero and the point is that you don't need a digital network to do social media. if you have one that goes faster but you could actually do it in the old days so cicero did it with polaris roles and messengermessenger s running two in front of the members of the roman elite who are links to him and they all spoke to each other and it was very much a social environment that there were many other examples that occurred throughout history. martin luther and his use of pamphlets and tom payne and his catholic common sense and the way that pamphlets were used more broadly in the american and french revolutions. >> on august 9, 1974 vice president ford was sworn in as president of the united states. this was the dress that mrs. ford was wearing at the swearing-in ceremony. she was less than excited about becoming first lady by president ford encouraged her saying we can do this. she resolved that if i'm going to do this i'm going to have fun doing this in the fund for her started almost immediately. within 10 days she had a state dinner to entertain king hussein of jordan and was s