Reading the signs: Semiotics

Are there more than meet the eyes?
...
Why, yes, there are, in fact, when you see it, you'll shit bricks.

Well, not really. But on semiotics there are a whole lot of bricks-shitting terms that you have to know about.
For starters, let's look at how the term semiotics came about, these 2 educational video should've warp it up:

A breakdown of communication: the process model and cybernetics

Claude Shannon: father of information age

In today's class we were introduced to Shannon and Weaver's model, which contributes a lot to the communication devices, in Shannon and Weaver's case, is for the telephone. However, in today's era, everything around us that we usually take for granted, this model can be viewed as the the core, or even, the 'mother' to every communication devices we have today.

Media, Culture and History

MEDIA

noun /ˈmēdēə/ media, plural

The main means of mass communication (esp. television, radio, newspapers, and the Internet) regarded collectively
• - the campaign won media attention

Simply put, media can be identified in all sorts of term, be it through (commonly known) television, radio, newspapers, Internet, etc... If we were to break it down, even a simple thing like a piece of paper can be viewed as a medium, provided it has messages and words written on it, because if you notch it up to another level, it can transform into newspapers, in order to transfer a message from one to another.
It can also be viewed as a term of idol. For example, a sort of idol for worshiping purposes. Statues for religion purposes, is a sort of 'medium' to link human world to the spiritual world, if you may.