The search for a reliable source

The ongoing conflict in Iraq has occupied the forefront of American consciousness for much of the past year. Many Tufts students have relied upon a variety of sources -- Internet, television, and newspapers -- to stay informed.

Other students, however, display a lesser degree of commitment to staying abreast of the current situation in Iraq. University professors, while generally more informed than students, are also more highly critical of the media's news coverage and seek to make their students similarly savvy media consumers.

"[Students] paid more attention [to the news] than usual... [But] students generally regard skimming headlines on the Internet as an adequate source of news," Political Science Professor Jeffrey Berry said. "You have to read a high-quality newspaper every day."

Students, like Berry, frequently place greater trust in print journalism than in television news: "I'm more confident in the newspapers over the news, because depending on the channel they [can be] idiots," sophomore Daniela Mauro said. Many students said, however, that they tend to watch TV news programs more frequently than they read newspapers.

This is partly because watching the news is more convenient than reading the paper: "I can put the news on in the background while I do work," sophomore Liz Halperin said.

Despite its convenience, however, television news may not be an accurate source of information on the war with Iraq, according to Berry. He is wary of television news, particularly news talk shows: "They're not often informative, and are often so heavily ideological that you have to discount [them]," Berry said. "Given the low quality of TV news, I really wish students would listen to NPR [National Public Radio], where there is a tremendous amount of news and analysis."

Political Science Professor Robert Eichenberg says that it is up to the viewer how to interpret their news sources. "Sophisticated media consumers always filter [for bias]," he said. Eichenberg finds such bias in abundance on channels such as Fox News. "I know that Fox News is biased; so do the people who watch Fox News," he said.

Several students expressed opinions similar to Eichenberg's and found that they had less confidence in certain news channels. "I trusted Fox News the least, because they were strongly pro-war," sophomore Austen Eadie-Friedmann said. "I found the conservative anchors to be biased in their reporting." Freshman Liz Kulik agreed, calling Fox News "very right-wing and harsh."

Sophomore Jenn Cantelmi takes her distrust of the news even further. "I don't trust American news on TV at all, because they're always focused on vocal issues to get people's attention," she said. "They never talk about international issues unless they directly affect the U.S. It's very one-sided...it seems like they're going for the entertainment aspect instead of straight reporting."

Like Cantelmi, Kulik was frustrated by television news in general. "I was glued to CNN at the beginning," she said. "As the war dragged on, I became more frustrated with TV coverage, and started using the Internet because it's more selective."

The Internet has significantly changed the way students inform themselves. Online news sites are a very popular source of war information because of their convenience. According to a study by San Diego State University, Internet news sources are enjoying increasing success due to their availability and accessibility. In addition, online news coverage can be more engaging and interactive, with 24-hour streaming video and interactive surveys.

Online sources also offer students more choices. During the first Gulf War, multimedia coverage consisted of two forms: print journalism (newspapers and magazines) and broadcast journalism (television and radio).Today, online media features a blend of the two, with access to video clips, full text stories and sound bites.

The internet does not escape from bias and inaccuracy, however, as there is often less fact-checking and more ambiguity than in broadcast and print journalism.

Professors tend to rely more heavily on newspapers than other forms of coverage. Partly, this is generational: "I grew up in an age of newspapers," Berry said. According to Eichenberg, "Media consumption habits have a lot to do with lifestyle differences."

"I drive a lot, which dictates a choice -- I use the radio," Eichenberg added. "Students are usually not 'radio people'."

"Newspapers offer depth in a way TV doesn't," Berry said. The professors quoted, as well as the students quoted, cited The New York Times as their most trusted overall source of news.

Newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, The L.A. Times, and The Washington Post were also regarded highly by the University professors quoted.

"I didn't care much for the [Wall Street Journal]'s position editorially, but their coverage was pretty strong," Berry said.

Eichenberg, who teaches the heavily-media reliant course "Public Opinion and Foreign Policy," uses the Internet as a supplement to newspaper-reading. "Part of my job is to be thoroughly informed," he said. "I look at quality sources of news every night for the next day's news."

Eichenberg cited the Washington Post, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The Guardian as sites he regularly checked. "This is where the advent of the Internet makes my job cheaper and easier," he said.