The word “media”—the plural of “medium”—is from the Latin medius, meaning “middle.” Since the 19th century, the term has pertained broadly to anything that is a means of transmission or communication; however, media are not simply neutral channels that transmit content created through other means, as the contributors to this issue demonstrate. Authors from a wide array of disciplines explore the “middleness” of media by considering how its various forms influence our knowledge, shape our understanding, and affect our interpretation of the world around us.

We end with a tribute to the late Richard Weller, co-founder with Tatum Hands of this journal.