What began as anti-regime protests in Syria in March 2011 (Migration Policy Center, 2013) – in the atmosphere of anti-government protests elsewhere in the region – the crisis in Syria has dragged on for several years and led to the death of over 100,000 people. According to official figures, over the past three years, 6.5 million have been displaced, and more than 2.4 million Syrians are seeking refuge in neighboring countries, over 880,000 in Lebanon, over 600,00 in Turkey, and over 580,000 in Jordan (UNHCR, 2014). In such disastrous situations access to media changes as do daily and social needs. This paper examines how displaced populations use what media are available to them in a time of war in order to fulfill their needs, whether for information or entertainment. Over 2000 Syrian refugees between the ages of 18 and 65 in Syria and in the three countries with the highest number of displaced, Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan, were surveyed concerning their media use. The aim of the research was to reveal what news media are available during conflict, which sources are most trusted and followed, what media channels fulfill which needs and gratifications, and what media sources and needs people prioritize during times of war and distress. Their media habits were then compared against their original county of residence, current residence, and various demographic variables. Literature on the effect of war on media uses and media-related needs is scarce, as is research on media uses of refugees and displaced persons in this region and beyond. The present research aims to begin to fill that lacuna, and analyzes the findings within three theoretical frameworks, uniquely applied to a war and conflict situation: media uses and gratifications, selective exposure and media dependency, and uncertainty reduction theory (c.f. Boyle et al. 2004; Bratić 2006; Dotan and Cohen 1976; Katz, Haas, & Gurevitch 1973; Ruggiero, 2000). Unfortunately, as a region plagued by continuous conflict and civil strife, the Middle East is ripe for war and media effects research. Research on such media uses offers a better understanding of how news sources can deliver appropriate content to Arab populations during dangerous and uncertain situations.