I. ˈmē-dē-ə noun
( plural me·di·ae -dē-ˌē)
Date: 1841
1.
[Late Latin, from Latin, feminine of medius; from the voiced stops' being regarded as intermediate between the tenues and the aspirates]
: a voiced stop
2.
[New Latin, from Latin]
: the middle coat of the wall of a blood or lymph vessel consisting chiefly of circular muscle fibers
II. noun
( plural me·di·as )
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: plural of medium
Date: 1923
1. : a medium of cultivation, conveyance, or expression ; especially : medium 2b
2.
a. singular or plural in construction : mass media
b. plural : members of the mass media
Usage:
The singular media and its plural medias seem to have originated in the field of advertising over 70 years ago; they are apparently still so used without stigma in that specialized field. In most other applications media is used as a plural of medium. The great popularity of the word in references to the agencies of mass communication is leading to the formation of a mass noun, construed as a singular
there's no basis for it. You know, the news media gets on to something — Edwin Meese 3d
the media is less interested in the party's policies — James Lewis, Guardian Weekly
This use is not as well established as the mass-noun use of data and is likely to incur criticism especially in writing.