Is "media" a collective noun?

Media is the plural of the Latin word medium. So, in theory it should always be used with "are". But, in today's language, it is sometimes used with "is" as well, when we talk about the group of journalists and others who constitute the communications industry (newspapers, television, internet, billboards, radio, ...). I guess it's the evolution of language. Personally, I'd always use it as a plural, because that's what it is.