Mediums or Media?

Suki M · Oct 11, 2009

In an article about social media, I wrote something like -

"Blogs, microblogs, networking sites and forums occupy a large chunk of the time people spend online. Most use at least one of these media to communicate with friends, family or business contacts."

Technically, the plural of "medium" is "media". "Mediums" is used only when "medium" refers to a clairvoyant (think: Whoopi Goldberg in "Ghost"). Even though I know this, my sentence looks wrong to me.

Any tips?

Thanks, AWers!

Misa Buckley · Oct 11, 2009

I think it needs to be one sentence:

"Blogs, microblogs, networking sites and forums occupy a large chunk of the time people spend online, with most using at least one of these media to communicate with friends, family or business contacts."

But media is the right word to use in this context.

HTH

Suki M · Oct 11, 2009

@Misaditas: Thanks, both for the confirmation and the suggestion. I think I'll give up the "14-word sentence" rule I read about when I started writing for the web, and start using the semicolons my fingers beg to use!

Misa Buckley · Oct 11, 2009

Rules are only there so we can break them

mathewferguson · Oct 11, 2009

Suki M said:
In an article about social media, I wrote something like -

"Blogs, microblogs, networking sites and forums occupy a large chunk of the time people spend online. Most use at least one of these media to communicate with friends, family or business contacts."

Technically, the plural of "medium" is "media". "Mediums" is used only when "medium" refers to a clairvoyant (think: Whoopi Goldberg in "Ghost"). Even though I know this, my sentence looks wrong to me.

Any tips?

Thanks, AWers!

What is this paragraph for? The problem of "media" is simply it being used in its uncommon form but the larger issue is the content itself. The first sentence is a generic statement that presumably could be supported with evidence. If this is the case then why not make it more specific? Blogs, networking sites and forums suck up 55% of the time we spend online.
Or go even further: "Blogs and networking sites like Facebook consume 55% ...".

If you make the first sentence stronger then your second sentence can be cut entirely because you've already established your point.

Suki M · Oct 11, 2009

Umm... this was a dummy sentence to introduce the context of the phrase "one of these media", not an actual part of my article. I don't want my clients thinking I'm copying stuff off AW!

In any case, do you have an answer to my actual question?

Chase · Oct 11, 2009

Suki,

About the term as your example uses it, my Wesbster says:

3. Plural usually me-dia. Any means, agency, or instrumentality; specifically, a means of communication that reaches the general public and carries advertising. In this specific sense, a singular for media (plural: medias) is now often used. See also MEDIA.

So your example is correct in modern use.

I hope this (or another dictionary explanation) helps.

mathewferguson · Oct 11, 2009

Suki M said:
Umm... this was a dummy sentence to introduce the context of the phrase "one of these media", not an actual part of my article. I don't want my clients thinking I'm copying stuff off AW!

In any case, do you have an answer to my actual question?

Media is correct usage however it is uncommon usage. If your text is for a university level paper or dissertation then use media. If it is for a blog article for a general audience then take it out entirely. If the audience for your article doesn't speak like that then neither should you.

I would avoid "one of these media" because, sadly, not enough people understand it. Try telling someone the difference between datum and data - it's impossible now.

benbradley · Oct 11, 2009

Yes, medium is from Latin so the plural is media (more because English often pulls its pluralization from whatever language the word came from than for any logical reason), so I'm trying to think how this sounds for plural ...

There are six steaks: two rares, two media, and two well-dones.

I'll have the Fox and my wife will have the MSNBC.

In other news, in the Star Trek universe was a Private Datum, but he was really stupid.

boron · Oct 12, 2009

Media in Google gives 1,180,000,000 (yes, a billion) results. Social media, news media, mass media, transmission media are also widely used terms.

Other Latin or Greek derived plural terms:

Bacterium > bacteria
Fungus > fungi
Protozoan > protozoa
Calculus > calculi

Suki M · Oct 12, 2009

@Mathewferguson: True, it'll be like speaking Latin. Clearly, if it's so uncommon that it sounds wrong to MY ears, there's no use being correct for correctness' sake. I'll find an alternative. Thanks

@benbradley: Isn't English an exasperating conglomerate of languages?? I'd exclaim "Why couldn't we stick to Old English?", but I know a little too much of it to love it. English grew so much prettier after the Norman conquest!
Sorry, couldn't resist the rant!

@boron: Thanks for the input.

Rufus Coppertop · Oct 12, 2009

benbradley said:
Yes, medium is from Latin so the plural is media (more because English often pulls its pluralization from whatever language the word came from than for any logical reason), so I'm trying to think how this sounds for plural ...

There are six steaks: two rares, two media, and two well-dones.

In Latin, the um ending is for Second Declension neuter singular and the plural forms take a. Words like Antenna, become antennae in the plural, because the a ending is First Declension singular and the plural takes ae.

The plural of octopus of course, is octopi because us is usually a Second Declension masculine singular and hence i is the plural ending.

Personally I'd go with media but your steak example clearly shows the limitations of pedanticism when it comes to Latin.

BenPanced · Oct 12, 2009

mathewferguson said:
Media is correct usage however it is uncommon usage. If your text is for a university level paper or dissertation then use media. If it is for a blog article for a general audience then take it out entirely. If the audience for your article doesn't speak like that then neither should you.

I would avoid "one of these media" because, sadly, not enough people understand it. Try telling someone the difference between datum and data - it's impossible now.

Um, no, it isn't. It's correct usage, no matter how uncommon some might think it is. It's not "above" or "beneath" a "general audience".

Jamesaritchie · Oct 12, 2009

I don't think "media" is uncommon usage at all. It's not only correct, it's the usage I see pretty much 100% of the time.

I wouldn't underestimate the intelligence of readers, either. Get it wrong, and most will know it.

The sentence could, of course, be written without either usage.

"Blogs, microblogs, networking sites and forums occupy a large chunk of the time people spend online. Most use at least one of these to communicate with friends, family or business contacts."

Terie · Oct 13, 2009

Jamesaritchie said:
I don't think "media" is uncommon usage at all. It's not only correct, it's the usage I see pretty much 100% of the time.

I agree. Not even the 'former occupant' got that wrong. Never once heard him complain about the 'liberal mediums'.

There might well be bloggers and other users of social media who use the incorrect 'mediums', but then they make all kinds of other grammatical mistakes, too, and professional writers shouldn't be mimicking the lowest common denominator.

Suki M · Oct 14, 2009

@Chase: Thanks, that does indeed help. Sorry I missed your reply while checking the thread yesterday

.

@Rufus Coppertop: Oh boy, should I be glad I didn't take Latin lessons? What is Second Declension? From what I gather(from elementary Sanskrit and Old English), it's just a "type" of noun, and you have to know where to put your words. Am I right?

As for "mediums" vis-a-vis steaks, what is involved is the plural of "steak", not of "medium". "A rare and two media" is exactly what we'll get by trying to Latinize colloquials!

@benpanced: Until we make a survey and find out how many people think "media" is uncommon, we won't know!

@Jamesaritchie: I think avoiding the word may, indeed, be the best policy. I used "one of these media" for the article - at least it isn't outright wrong!

@Terie: It took me 20 minutes before I realized who the "former occupant" was! But my problem is, very few people see the word "media" as a plural of "medium". The aforementioned gentleman would be quite likely to say "TV is a media", wouldn't he?

Apologies for typos, I'm in a rush.

Steam&Ink · Oct 14, 2009

benbradley said:
Yes, medium is from Latin so the plural is media (more because English often pulls its pluralization from whatever language the word came from than for any logical reason), so I'm trying to think how this sounds for plural ...

There are six steaks: two rares, two media, and two well-dones.

LOL.

If have to say, though (***wet blanket alert***), in correct usage the above sentence would never exist: you've converted adjectives (rare, medium, well-done) into nouns. It's a common, but incorrect, modern practice.

Still, I would enjoy "two media" being brought to my table

Jamesaritchie · Oct 14, 2009

Suki M said:
@Chase:

@Terie: It took me 20 minutes before I realized who the "former occupant" was! But my problem is, very few people see the word "media" as a plural of "medium". The aforementioned gentleman would be quite likely to say "TV is a media", wouldn't he?

.

I really don't know where you get this. From my experience, about 99% of all the people out there who actually read or watch the news KNOW that media is the plural of medium. I honestly can't remeber ever talking to someone who didn't know this.

It just isn't true that most people don't know the difference. If you watch any news at all, or read any, you'll hear/see both used correctly many times each day. If you're hanging out with people who don't know the difference, you need a better class of friends. Believe me, darned near all your readers will know you screwed up, you'll lose credibility, and probably receive a bunch of nasty comments. Goofs like that jump off the page.

And, no, the former occupant would not think that TV is a media. I've heard him use that correctly several times, as well.

Whatever his politics, which were sometimes very good, sometimes very silly, the man had an IQ above 125, and that ain't bad by any standard.

Terie · Oct 14, 2009

Jamesaritchie said:
And, no, the former occupant would not think that TV is a media. I've heard him use that correctly several times, as well.

Whatever his politics, which were sometimes very good, sometimes very silly, the man had an IQ above 125, and that ain't bad by any standard.

And to clarify, my mentioning him wasn't about politics or IQ, but about his, er, facility with the English language. If someone so prone to mangling English consistently uses particular words correctly, it's a fair bet that the bulk of the reading public does, too.

An argument can probably be made that folks who don't read much don't know the difference, but since we're talking about writing, those folks aren't part of the target audience.

Lance_in_Shanghai · Oct 23, 2009

I am more than a bit shocked at the suggestions that you can use the imaginary word medias. For Latin and Greek borrowings, we either stick with the old language grammar or accept Anglicizing the word. No editor would accept medias, although they would accept stadiums and octopuses (correct plural in Greek is 'octopodes', never octopi which is some horribly feeble attempt to Latinize the Greek). Use medium for singular and media for plural unless you plan to self-publish.

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