The plural form of mass medium is mass media. In the sentence, the relative pronoun "that" introduces an essential relative clause. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Terms of Service ● © 2020 Modern Language Association of America. . It’s hard to write at length about social media without pondering this question seriously. Types of Mass Media channels. The MLA follows Merriam-Webster, which states that media can be treated as singular or plural when the reference is to mass media (“Media”). (use in American English preferred, if there's any difference) thanks so much and have a happy new year you all! The word “media” is traditionally a plural because “medium” is the singular. The word media comes from the Latin plural of medium. In the 1920's media began to appear as a singular collective (mass) noun. The noun 'media' is a plural form of the singular noun 'medium'.The noun phrase 'mass media' is a plural form. The traditional view is that it should therefore be treated as a plural noun in all its senses in English and be used with a plural rather than a singular verb: the media have not followed the reports (rather than ‘has’). Old professor Kirkwood is disappointed with the way mass media is reporting on the economy. But in the 1920s, the word took on the new meaning to describe communication outlets. My father taught me how to be a man – and not by instilling in me a sense of machismo or anagenda of dominance. So the answer to the question of whether you treat social media as a singular or plural depends on how you are using it. The question of if media is singular or plural dates back to over 70 years ago. . As I often say, it depends. So you may choose either style as long as you are consistent throughout your paper: “Media, N. (1), Often Attributive.” Merriam-Webster, 2019, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/media. Chemical, electronic, print. What it boils down to, Carl, is whether "media" should take a singular or plural verb. Writers have a choice because "media" is a collective noun (just like the words "team" and "jury"). This singular use is now common in the fields of mass communication and advertising, e.g., The media is (or are) not against businesses. "Media" as both singular and plural: "The media" is a collective noun referring to the "mass media" (e.g., television and newspapers). JavaScript is disabled. The word “media” is still considered a plural noun and should take a plural verb (as in “the media were all over this story”). Many usage experts have predicted that in a generation or two “media” will be considered acceptable as a singular noun. Find more words! When media refers to mass communications in general, or when it’s used synecdochically to refer to groups of journalists or TV news crews, it is often treated as a mass noun, taking a singular verb.For example, one might say “the media is outside” instead of “the media are outside.” Some people insist that Latin plurals must be used properly even in English. Definition of mass written for English Language Learners from the Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary with audio pronunciations, usage examples, and count/noncount noun labels. You could replace "the people or organizations" with "those people or organizations", but not the "that". Media can be treated correctly as singular or plural, but after consulting a few dictionaries, they all agree that mass media is always plural. Example: The media are present with vans, … I would normally treat media as plural when using it to mean all of those things - even though BE probably accepts both. The word media comes from the Latin plural of medium. "Media" may refer either to multiple communication outlets or to a single such outlet. it is acceptable in standard English for it to take either a singular or a plural verb. mass media - WordReference English dictionary, questions, discussion and forums. verb]) all the sources of information that are able to reach large numbers of the public, such as TV, radio, newspapers, etc: We live in an era of mass media. Social media is a family of websites that mimic social functions. Why? mass medium Function: noun Inflected Form(s): plural mass media: a medium of communication (as the newspapers, radio, motion pictures, television) that is designed to reach the mass of the people and that tends to set the standards, ideals, and aims of the masses -- usually used in plural 2002. The Guzenheimer family said the media hasn’t left them alone since the terrible tragedy. All Free. This post offers the most articulate answer to this question I’ve come across: use the plural when you’re talking about a collection of social media channels and their characteristics, use the singular when you’re talking about the cumulative effects of social media as a whole.