You have heard about "the media," but do you know what that actually means?  A "medium" is a method by which something, in this case information, gets passed between people.  "The media," (plural of "medium") refers to the various ways that people convey information.  Years ago, the only media were print media, like books and newspapers.  Then came magazines, radio, film and television.  Today, all of these media have grown, and we have added video and computer games, the commercial music industry (which combines with television to produce a new medium, the music video), and the recently invented medium that contains and conveys an endless amount of information, the Internet. 

This explosive growth in the kinds of media and their ability to convey more information has been accompanied by the growth of the advertising industry.  From simple signs and print ads in newspapers, advertising has grown to include full-page magazine ads with pictures, TV commercials, huge roadside billboards, and even those annoying popup ads on the Internet.  The media are everywhere, and so is advertising.  And the lines that distinguish information, entertainment, and advertising from each other are less defined than ever.