With the countdown to war reaching its final stages, news networks will see incredible ratings increases as millions of Americans tune in to the Iraq coverage. How objective can we expect the reporting to be? If the past few months are any indication, “not at all” would be an accurate answer.

According to a new Action Alert published by FAIR, a leading media analysis think tank, “Network newscasts, dominated by current and former U.S. officials, largely exclude Americans who are skeptical of or opposed to an invasion of Iraq.” The group “examined the 393 on-camera sources who appeared in nightly news stories about Iraq on ABC World News Tonight, CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly News and PBS’s NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.”

Stunningly (or not so stunningly, depending on your worldview), more than 2/3 of the sources were advocates of war. Among those voicing opposition, only one (Catherine Thomason of Physicians for Social Responsibility) was affiliated with an anti-war/peace organization.

There is no doubt that conservative pundits will continue to rail against the “liberal media” whenever they feel the need to whine about social justice. But the reality of the situation seems quite different than these mouthpieces would have you believe. I encourage every concerned American to seek out alternative news sources, especially within the context of America’s war of aggression with Iraq. For starters, check out ZNet and The Nation. Even if you are in favor of the war, you owe it to yourself to seek both sides of the proverbial story.