Make Your Point > Archived Issues > VIA MEDIA

Send Make Your Point issues straight to your inbox.

explore the archives: Today's "via media" means the middle way, or a compromise between two extremes. It might remind you of that phrase that we borrowed from French: "j____ m_____," meaning a happy medium or an established point of moderation. What's the difference between these terms? You often use the French one to talk about politics and your personal life, but you most often use today's "via media" to talk about struggles between two people and groups, especially over the matter of defining something, and especially over religious issues. make your point with... "VIA MEDIA" A via media is a middle way. It's a compromise between two extremes. Pronunciation: Several ways are correct. I prefer "VEE uh MEE dee uh." Part of speech: Noun. Talk about a via media, the via media, or no via media, but don't make it plural. Other forms: via-medialism Note: You might wonder if "via media" itself is plural, since "media" often means "more than one medium." Actually, "via media" is singular, and the "media" in it means "middle," not "a channel of communication." How to use it: You often use "via media" to talk about how two people or groups struggle over an idea--often one involving religion, or how to define or interpret something.  That is, talk about finding a via media, suggesting a via media, settling reluctantly on a via media, and so on. You might call one idea or solution or attitude "the via media of something," as in "the via media of apathy," or "the via media between one thing and another," as in "the via media between hatred and adoration is apathy." In many situations, there is no via media: we fail to find a via media, we won't acknowledge or accept a via media, any via media eludes us, etc. examples: I dislike that whole "you're either with us or against us" mentality, just like I dislike poorly written multiple choice questions. A via media always exists, even if it goes unacknowledged. Agnosticism is that via media between believing there's a god and believing there isn't one. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "via media" means when you can explain it without saying "compromise" or "the idea between two extremes." try it out: Think of something that people argue about a lot, or something that people seem to either love or hate, and fill in the blanks: "Surely there's some via media between _____ and _____." Example: "Surely there's some via media between a totally healthy, socially conscious diet and glutting yourself on whatever." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. When it comes to word roots, everybody knows what some of them mean, like “ambi/amphi” (“both”) and “circum” (“around”) and “hetero” (“different”). This knowledge helps you explain why words like “automobile” and “autobiography” look similar—in this case, it’s because they both involve the concept of “self.” But what about some of the less obvious roots? Could you explain, for example, why “contain” looks so much like “sustain” by defining “tain”? This month, we're exploring the meanings underlying common words you know. You can usually figure these out by looking for an extremely basic concept common to all the words in each group. We’ll start with easier, more obvious roots and move on to trickier ones as the month goes on! Yesterday's question:  In alleviate, elevator, lever, and levitate, what does “lev” mean?  Answer: Light. (As in, the opposite of heavy, not the opposite of dark.) Try this one today:  In advent, adventure, avenue, event, intervene, invent, prevent, souvenir, and venue, what does “ven” mean? review today's word: 1. A close opposite of VIA MEDIA is A. ABSOLUTION B. RESTRAINT C. ZEALOTRY 2.  No via media presented itself; the competition was a case of _____. A. pure skill B. either attack or be attacked C. whose parents had helped the most Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. C 2. B