Section I

Language focus

Read the dictionary definitions of “media” and “medium” given below.

A media 1. The media are television, radio, and newspapers/magazines regarded as a group. The media entertain or spread news and information to a large number of people. E.G. The news media are interested only in bad news... The media is biased... Figures have been boosted by pre-sales publicity in the media... The policy shift was an apparent response to heavy media coverage... 1.2 Media is a plural of medium.

B medium A medium is 2.1 a way or means of expressing your ideas or of communicating with people. E.G. I went to secondary school in a country where English is not the medium of instruction... He would prefer to be remembered for his talents in media other than photography. 2.2 a substance or material which is used for a particular purpose or in order to produce a particular effect. E.G. Air is a medium for sound... I think watercolour is an extremely difficult medium to work with.

In English, a distinction is made between the first and second senses of the term media by the use of a definite article. People talk about the media when they are referring to newspapers, magazines, television and radio, but media when they are using the word as the plural of 'medium'.

2. Now look at the following list. In your groups, decide which you would include under media and which under the media and why.

3. Make up English-Russian pairs of the words and word-combinations equivalent in meaning: