Arianna Huffington started on NPR’s political show, “Left, Right and Center,” as a Republican. Eleven years later, she’s created a blog empire, several books and the show’s fourth dimension: the independent progressive.

“I have to speak my own truth,” Huffington said.

Huffington, the co-founder and editor of The Huffington Post, came to Northwestern on Thursday night following months of negotiations by SEED, Students for Ecological and Environmental Development, and College Democrats, the co-sponsor of the event.

With a Greek accent and a sense of humor, Huffington transitioned from speaking about the media’s influence on current events to politicians and then to alternative energy sources in her hour-long speech.

According to Huffington, the media’s quest to present balanced issues gives the false impression that the truth is “somewhere in between” the two sides rather than firmly on one.

“It’s like you go to the doctor and they say ‘We have good news and bad news. The bad news is that your daughter has a brain tumor, but the good is that she’s a good speller,’” Huffington said.

She spoke of global warming, saying the media has helped turn the issue into a crisis by giving each side of the debate equal coverage, even though a majority of scientists agree that global warming is a serious issue.

Politicians are pressured to stick to their ideas and ridiculed when they change their minds, Huffington said.

“Stubbornness is not leadership, and it is dangerous to our country,” she said. Huffington encouraged people to be fearless in evolving their beliefs.

Huffington also spoke about energy efficiency. She said there is a resistance to anything but the energy crisis’s “perfect solution” — which probably doesn’t exist. Huffington said we should let the small contributions of alternative energy and fuel sources add up.

David Spett, SEED’s fall speaker chair, said the group spent its whole budget on Huffington’s speech, even after College Democrats footed 30 percent of the cost.

“It’s shocking how much it costs…but if you want a name that everyone knows you have to spend a lot of money,” Spett said.

With an official attendance count of 170, Huffington spoke to an audience that included those who knew her and students interested in learning of them.

Jonathan Kahn, a fourth-year medical student, said he wasn’t too familiar with Huffington’s ideas but was interested in environmentalism so thought he’d check it out. In the end, he was pleased with the event.

“I enjoyed her discussion about some of our energy policies and her mention of the emphasis on SUVs,” he said. “It’s true that getting just a few miles per gallon more efficient can really make a difference on the large scale.”

After the speech, several people asked about universal health care, a possible “era of apathy,” the ecology movement, the media and alternative energy sources.

Huffington later said she was impressed with the depth of questions.

“I thought they were fantastic,” she said. “They were impressive and thorough. Everyone clearly knew about the subjects.”

Huffington rounded out the evening with a book signing. She had her newest, On Becoming Fearless in Love, Work and Life, and a pile of business cards to pass out.

One of the draws of speaking on a college campus for Huffington is the potential to find new writers for The Huffington Post. The Post, which was launched in May of 2005, now has more than 1,800 bloggers involved, and space for student internships and moderators. Huffington emphasized her desire to include the younger generation.

“We always want a vibrant community,” Huffington said. “Part of recruiting is going and meeting people.”