Shades of gr[ea]y my friend. If you think of the media as each broadcaster/publisher it might be plural, but in the conspiratorial sense of things the "media" is just the propaganda arm of "them". That makes it a singular thing. QED
Depends where you live really. Some places say "the band is performing" and treat it as a singular, others say "the band are performing" and treat it as a collection of individuals. I think the latter is more of a UK thing.
