Get the word out
Meaning
To widely communicate information or a message to a large number of people.
Origin
While humans have always shared news, the phrase 'get the word out' captures a distinctly proactive and deliberate approach to communication that crystallized with the advent of mass media and organized public relations. It emerged particularly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as businesses, governments, and movements realized the strategic necessity of actively pushing their messages into the public sphere. No longer was news simply carried or gossiped about; it demanded a concerted effort to extract it from its source and propel it widely, shifting from passive 'spreading' to an urgent, targeted act of dissemination that defines our information-rich modern age.
Examples
- The local government launched a campaign to get the word out about the new recycling program.
- We need to get the word out to all volunteers that the event has been postponed until next month.