[quote=retina;144531]They are all printed on the same medium, namely paper.It is all sent by the same medium, EM waves.It is all delivered through the same medium, the Internet.

Is not a medium independent of the content it carries?[/quote]But my perception of what Jwb52z was discussing was the use of "the media" to refer to the news reports and discussion [I]in that content[/I]. It wasn't referring to the actual physical paper, electromagnetic waves, or coaxial cable! It was referring to certain subsets (such as the ones I listed: newspapers, TV, blogs, ...) of the information content carried via those means!

It's true that that sense of "the media" was [I]derived[/I] from the earlier "media" meaning physical stuff, but the two senses are different, and Jwb52z was referring to the later, derived one.

So, the broadcast media are composed of radio, TV, ... -- different ways of using EM to convey information. The print media are composed of newspapers, magazines, ... -- different ways of presenting information on paper. The online media are composed of blogs, news sites, discussion forums(fora, if you wish), ... -- different ways of presenting information on-line.

And when considering all these, "media" is correctly treated as plural. Yes, it's possible to refer to all of them collectively as singular "the media", but that does not obviate the plural uses I pointed out.

What I'm arguing is that the group noun "media" used in the information sense can be either singular or plural, depending on context, not restricted to singular. There is more than one type of information content carried on the print medium, but they are all print media carried via the print medium. There is more than one type of information content carried on EM, but they are all broadcast media carried on the EM medium. There are multiple types of information carried on-line, but they are all online media carried via the on-line medium.

[QUOTE=cheesehead;144557]But my perception of what Jwb52z was discussing was the use of "the media" to refer to the news reports and discussion [I]in that content[/I]. It wasn't referring to the actual physical paper, electromagnetic waves, or coaxial cable! It was referring to certain subsets (such as the ones I listed: newspapers, TV, blogs, ...) of the information content carried via those means!

It's true that that sense of "the media" was [I]derived[/I] from the earlier "media" meaning physical stuff, but the two senses are different, and Jwb52z was referring to the later, derived one.

So, the broadcast media are composed of radio, TV, ... -- different ways of using EM to convey information. The print media are composed of newspapers, magazines, ... -- different ways of presenting information on paper. The online media are composed of blogs, news sites, discussion forums(fora, if you wish), ... -- different ways of presenting information on-line.

And when considering all these, "media" is correctly treated as plural. Yes, it's possible to refer to all of them collectively as singular "the media", but that does not obviate the plural uses I pointed out.

What I'm arguing is that the group noun "media" used in the information sense can be either singular or plural, depending on context, not restricted to singular. There is more than one type of information content carried on the print medium, but they are all print media carried via the print medium. There is more than one type of information content carried on EM, but they are all broadcast media carried on the EM medium. There are multiple types of information carried on-line, but they are all online media carried via the on-line medium.[/QUOTE]Am I the only one slightly bothered by the use of the word "the" with a non-obvious plural noun? I wish people would not use "the", which to me should indicate specifics when referring to things that aren't trivial, when they mean the plural sense of things like "media" Otherwise, I think they should use "a" or another type of modifier such as an adjective referring to the KIND of media/medium.

It strikes me that "media" is not used synonymously with
the plural of "medium".
Try saying mediums in place of media.

[QUOTE=davieddy;144563]It strikes me that "media" is not used synonymously with
the plural of "medium".
Try saying mediums in place of media.[/QUOTE]Actually, I think you are correct. It does alleviate a lot of problems that way to the ear as well as to grammar, I think.

Just one kuhveet...
 

I overheard someone yesterday pronounce "caveat" as "Kuh-veet".

[quote=davieddy;144563]It strikes me that "media" is not used synonymously with the plural of "medium".
Try saying mediums in place of media.[/quote]I eagerly await hearing a conservative commentator refer to "the liberal mediums". :smile:

Most of what bothers me boils down to the usage of 5 Romance vowels: a, e, i, o, u. These I believe have similar sounds in Spanish, Italian, and Japanese.

I cringe more over words like "pasta" for vowel abuse than for most consonant variations including voiced/unvoiced changes.

That, and if I can only hear Bobby Flay say "Chipotle" without adding an extra syllable, could get me through a cooking show unscathed.

On fil·let: fil′it or fi lā′ or fil′ā′?

Luxury pronounced Lugshury

[QUOTE=only_human;150780]On fil·let: fil′it or fi lā′ or fil′ā′?[/QUOTE]

This is just my personal convention, but I use the 1st pronunciation, reserving #2 for the single-L word. That avoids ambiguity.

American English sounds fine, except for one thing that got my goat during my 3 years living there...

Whatever happened to the h in herb?

It just sounds wrong to me!

[QUOTE=robert44444uk;162664]American English sounds fine, except for one thing that got my goat during my 3 years living there...

Whatever happened to the h in herb?

It just sounds wrong to me![/QUOTE]

You British-empire-style speakers stop saying "a[b]n[/b] historic..." as if the H were silent (what are we speaking, cockney?), and we will gladly re-insert the "hah" into "herb".

Admittedly, many American speakers also use the "a[b]n[/b] historic..." mis-grammarization, but I believe they're just following the Brits` lead on that one.

And don't even get me started on "S 'stead of Z / If you're a Limey"... ;)