Media vs. Mediums — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Maham Liaqat — Updated on April 16, 2024
"Media" generally refers to various means of communication and content distribution such as television, radio, and newspapers, while "mediums" describes individuals who purportedly communicate with the spirit world or the materials used in art.
Difference Between Media and Mediums
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
"Media" encompasses all forms of mass communication. This includes broadcast media like TV and radio, print media such as newspapers and magazines, and digital media, which covers internet-based and social media platforms. On the other hand, "mediums" can refer to artists' materials like oil, watercolor, and acrylic, as well as individuals who claim to contact spirits.
In the context of news and information, "media" serves as the collective infrastructure for disseminating news, entertainment, and data on a large scale, crucial for informing the public and shaping opinions. In contrast, "mediums" in the spiritual sense engage in personal or small group sessions intended to relay messages from the deceased or provide psychic insights.
Technological advancements greatly influence the evolution of "media," pushing the boundaries from traditional formats to immersive digital and interactive experiences. Whereas, the role and methods of "mediums" as spirit communicators remain largely consistent, focused on personal interaction and often steeped in mysticism.
Regulatory frameworks often govern the operations and ethics of "media," with laws and guidelines to ensure accuracy, fairness, and accountability in the dissemination of information. However, "mediums" in the psychic sense operate in a more ambiguous space, often without formal oversight, leading to debates about credibility and ethical practices.
While "media" plays a pivotal role in cultural and societal development by influencing trends, opinions, and behaviors on a global scale, "mediums" impact is more niche, affecting individual beliefs and experiences related to spirituality and the supernatural.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Channels of mass communication.
Individuals who communicate with spirits or artistic materials.
Types/Examples
TV, radio, newspapers, online platforms.
Spiritual mediums, oil paints, clay.
Purpose/Function
To inform, entertain, and educate the public.
To facilitate communication with spirits or to create art.
Impact
Wide societal influence on public opinion and culture.
Personal spiritual experiences or individual artistic expression.
Regulatory Environment
Often subject to government and industry regulations.
Less regulated; spiritual practices vary widely.
Compare with Definitions
Media
Plays a critical role in shaping public discourse.
Media coverage can significantly influence public perception of events.
Mediums
Used to refer to materials used by artists.
Her preferred mediums are watercolor and ink.
Media
Can be interactive, especially in digital formats.
Social media allows for user interaction and content creation.
Mediums
Can denote forms of mass communication, though less commonly.
The sculptor experiments with different mediums to express his ideas.
Media
Often segmented into categories like print, broadcast, and digital.
Traditional print media are adapting to include more digital content.
Mediums
Individuals who claim to communicate with the spirit world.
Mediums often conduct séances to convey messages from the dead.
Media
Includes both news and entertainment components.
Media companies often produce both news reports and entertainment shows.
Mediums
Often operate outside conventional scientific understanding.
Mediums’ abilities to foresee events are debated among skeptics.
Media
Channels through which information is disseminated to a large audience.
The rise of digital media has transformed how we access news.
Mediums
Involve personal or small group interactions.
She visited a medium to receive guidance from past relatives.
Media
An ancient region of Asia to the south-west of the Caspian Sea, corresponding approximately to present-day Azerbaijan, north-western Iran, and north-eastern Iraq. Originally inhabited by the Medes, the region was conquered in 550 BC by Cyrus the Great of Persia.
Mediums
Something, such as an intermediate course of action, that occupies a position or represents a condition midway between extremes.
Media
A plural of medium. See Usage Note at medium.
Mediums
A substance that propagates energy or signals through space via changes in its own state
Air acts as a medium for the transmission of sound waves.
Media
(Linguistics) See medial.
Mediums
The sparsely distributed gas and dust subsisting in the space between stars.
Media
Something, such as an intermediate course of action, that occupies a position or represents a condition midway between extremes.
Mediums
Media
A substance that propagates energy or signals through space via changes in its own state
Air acts as a medium for the transmission of sound waves.
Mediums
An agency by which something is accomplished, conveyed, or transferred
The train was the usual medium of transportation in those days.
Media
The sparsely distributed gas and dust subsisting in the space between stars.
Mediums
A means of mass communication, such as newspapers, magazines, radio, or television.
Media
Mediums
Media(used with a sing. or pl. verb) The group of journalists and others who constitute the communications industry and profession.
Media
An agency by which something is accomplished, conveyed, or transferred
The train was the usual medium of transportation in those days.
Mediums
Pl. media(Computers)Any of various kinds of storage devices, such as hard drives or digital audiotape.
Media
A means of mass communication, such as newspapers, magazines, radio, or television.
Mediums
Pl. mediums A person thought to have the power to communicate with the spirits of the dead or with agents of another world or dimension. Also called psychic.
Media
Media(used with a sing. or pl. verb) The group of journalists and others who constitute the communications industry and profession.
Mediums
A surrounding environment in which something functions and thrives.
Media
Pl. media(Computers)Any of various kinds of storage devices, such as hard drives or digital audiotape.
Mediums
The substance in which a specific organism lives and thrives.
Media
Pl. mediums A person thought to have the power to communicate with the spirits of the dead or with agents of another world or dimension. Also called psychic.
Mediums
A culture medium.
Media
A surrounding environment in which something functions and thrives.
Mediums
A specific kind of artistic technique or means of expression as determined by the materials used or the creative methods involved
The medium of lithography.
Media
The substance in which a specific organism lives and thrives.
Mediums
The materials used in a specific artistic technique
Oils as a medium.
Media
A culture medium.
Mediums
A solvent with which paint is thinned to the proper consistency.
Media
A specific kind of artistic technique or means of expression as determined by the materials used or the creative methods involved
The medium of lithography.
Mediums
(Chemistry) A filtering substance, such as filter paper.
Media
The materials used in a specific artistic technique
Oils as a medium.
Mediums
Occurring or being between two degrees, amounts, or quantities; intermediate
Ordered a medium coffee.
Media
A solvent with which paint is thinned to the proper consistency.
Mediums
Plural of medium
Media
(Chemistry) A filtering substance, such as filter paper.
Media
Occurring or being between two degrees, amounts, or quantities; intermediate
Ordered a medium coffee.
Media
A voiced stop consonant.
Media
(entomology) One of the major veins of the insect wing, between the radius and the cubitus
Media
(zoology) An ant specialized as a forager in a leaf-cutter ant colony.
Media
(historical) cuarto: a half-fanega, {{ngd}}
Media
Plural of medium
Media
Means and institutions for publishing and broadcasting information.
As a result of the rise of, first, television news and entertainment media and, second, web-based media, traditional print-based media has declined in popularity.
Media
The journalists and other professionals who comprise the mass communication industry.
Some celebrities dislike press conferences, where the media bombards them with questions.
Media
(computing) Files and data comprising material viewable by humans, but usually not plain text; audiovisual material.
Media
(computing) multimedia
I have media files stored on an external hard drive.
Adjust media sound in multiple apps
Media
The latinic plural form of medium, sometimes used as a singular noun with the same meaning as medium; as, (Computers) place your installation media into the device which will read it; (Microbiology) the tuberculosis bacterium will only grow in a special media.
Media
The public institutions that report the news, such as newspapers, magazines, radio, and television, collectively; the news media; as, the media were obsessed with Monica Lewinsky for months.
Media
One of the sonant mutes
Common Curiosities
What are examples of media?
Examples include television, radio, newspapers, and online news platforms.
Are there ethical concerns associated with both media and mediums?
Yes, media face ethical issues related to bias and misinformation, while spiritual mediums are scrutinized for potential exploitation and deceit.
What does "mediums" refer to in the context of art?
In art, "mediums" refer to the materials or substances used to create artwork, such as oils, acrylics, or clay.
How do technological changes affect media?
Technological advancements continually reshape media, expanding how and where content is delivered and consumed.
Can the term "mediums" be used to describe different types of media?
Yes, though less commonly, "mediums" can also refer to different forms of media, emphasizing the variety within communication channels.
What regulations affect media?
Media are subject to various laws and regulations, including those concerning content decency, truthfulness, and copyright.
What is the role of a spiritual medium?
A spiritual medium purportedly communicates with the spirits of the deceased to provide closure or guidance to the living.
How do media impact society?
Media influence public opinion, cultural norms, and political landscapes by controlling the flow of information and entertainment.
Why might someone consult a spiritual medium?
Individuals often consult spiritual mediums for personal reasons, such as seeking closure with deceased loved ones or exploring spiritual questions.
What is the significance of digital media in today's world?
Digital media are crucial for instant global communication, shaping modern social interactions, and providing platforms for widespread information and cultural exchange.
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Written by
Maham Liaqat
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
