Iraq War Changes Web Habits

Record numbers of Americans are turning to the Internet as a primary source of Iraq war coverage, according to a study released Tuesday by Pew Internet and American Life, part of the Pew Research Center.

Overall, 77 percent of online Americans have used the Internet in connection with the war. One in five of those, or 19 percent, say the Internet has shaped their views of the conflict, and 6 percent say something they learned online has changed their opinion about the war.

What's drawing them online? Variety and timeliness, according to the study--66 percent of those surveyed say the ability to get news from a variety of sources is important.

Other lures are up-to-the-minute news, the capacity to get points of view different from those of traditional media and government, and the ability to correspond quickly with others on the topic, through e-mail and instant messages.

More Turn to Web

Seventeen percent of online Americans are getting most of their news about the war from the Internet. This is an increase in the portion of people who seek information online compared to the 3 percent who turned to the Net for news immediately following the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

"This is a dramatic increase in online news reliance," says Lee Rainie, director of Pew Internet and American Life. "The Internet will likely never surpass television, but it's clear that the Internet is growing in importance."

The study, "The Internet and the Iraq War," finds that 87 percent of Internet users rely primarily on television for war news. That is followed by 21 percent turning primarily to newspapers, 22 percent to radio, and 17 percent to the Internet (respondents were allowed two answers to this question). The study surveyed 1600 adults during the six days preceding the start of the war.

War Divides Surfers

Internet users support the war in Iraq by a 3-to-1 margin, roughly matching sentiments of all Americans in the same time frame, the study also finds. Some 74 percent of Internet users support the war, compared to 22 percent in opposition.

Researchers say war opponents and supporters are going online with different goals. Those who oppose the war are more actively browsing newspaper Web sites, seeking information about the people and country of Iraq, and reading or posting comments to online bulletin boards. Supporters are more actively sending and receiving patriotic e-mail and prayer requests.

Another disparity is between men and women who go online. According to the study, men are more likely than women to request e-mail news alerts. Women are more likely to use e-mail for prayer requests and to discuss the war with family members.

Not surprisingly, broadband users are also much more likely than dial-up users to go online for information and news about the war. Some 70 percent of respondents with broadband connections use the Web for war-related searches, compared to 58 percent of dial-up users.

Communication Favored

The most popular war-related online activity is e-mail, according to the Pew study. It finds 55 percent of those online have sent or received e-mail related to the war. Twenty-nine percent of the respondents say the missives involved patriotic sentiments, followed by 25 percent of respondents who say they have sent or received prayer requests. Also, 44 percent of surfers are looking for news, 23 percent are checking news of the financial markets, and 15 percent are seeking more information about Iraq.

The leading sites for war news are those operated by U.S. television stations, attracting 32 percent of surfers. About 29 percent of surfers are visiting newspaper sites, 15 percent are visiting U.S. government sites, and 10 percent are visiting foreign news sites.

One Web trend hasn't taken off, according to the study: Few of those surveyed visit blogs, or online Web diaries. Just 4 percent of surfers are turning to blogs for information and opinions, Pew researchers find.

Also trailing are the numbers of Web surfers seeking to become more involved politically. Only 5 percent of those surfing for war-related content have visited sites aimed at political activity, the study finds.