mainstream media

American  

[mayn-streem mee-dee-uh] / ˈmeɪnˌstrim ˈmi di ə /

noun

(usually used with a plural verb)

1. the traditional forms of mass media, as television, radio, magazines, and newspapers, as opposed to online means of mass communication. MSM

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Etymology

Origin of mainstream media

First recorded in 1975–80

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mainstream media

There Steinem wrote one of the first mainstream media dispatches from the women’s movement, covering a 1969 abortion speak-out in Greenwich Village, where woman after woman shared stories of terminating pregnancies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

"Look, this is an overwhelming endorsement of me. I have had enough of being judged by mainstream media, being called a criminal."

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

"We're going to make sure he's across all mainstream media," Hearn told the Times, external.

From BBC ● Apr. 30, 2026

Due to mainstream media coverage, he argued, “an idea can become potent through its rapid depiction in culture—including in articles such as this one, which maxes maxxing even as it attempts to minimize it, somewhat.”

From Salon ● Apr. 6, 2026

Others wondered if there was any way to get the message about their lives out beyond Slashdot, if these stories might reach the mainstream media in some form.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz

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