For almost two years, politics has pervaded news stations. From presidential hopefuls announcing their intention to run for their party’s nomination to the recent senate confirmation hearings on Mr. Trump’s cabinet picks, the mainstream media news has focused mainly on broadcasting political commentary. If you were to turn on the news at any given time during the past two years, you were bound to hear about the latest Trump tweet or another scandalous affair. There’s no doubt that this past election showed more signs of being an entertainment show than a formal, organized process of choosing our next leader. Now that the election has ended, unimportant political bickering seems to remain on our radars.

I grew up watching Fox News. In elementary school, I remember eating breakfast and seeing Gretchen Carlson on Fox and Friends every morning. Then in my junior year of high school, I would come home and listen to Shepard Smith reporting. When the election officially began, I noticed a change in the news that I read and watched. Every news station, editorial piece, radio show, and news headline revolved around politics. Everyone had an opinion and felt they needed to share.

Why is the news flooded by politics? Kimberly Guilfoyle co-anchors The Five on Fox News, she contributes to the discussion on politics and other major topics circulating in the media. I took a look into her biography on FNC’s website and I found that she formerly worked on the California coast as an assistant district attorney. Now, I admire Ms. Guilfoyle and I agree with her political opinions. However, I’ve recently become annoyed from watching the insignificant political segments that fill the whole hour of this show. No longer am I watching the news to keep up with what happens in the world, but I’m being entertained. Why couldn’t Ms. Guilfoyle give her opinion on legal matters regarding important issues? She is very much qualified, yet her time is spent discussing frivolities such as Mr. Trump’s latest press conference and his exchange with a CNN reporter.

News stations do not present information worthy of our time. I desire to hear about the current state of affairs with Russia. I want to know what exactly is happening in the South China Sea. I want to know what is going on in Iraq and if the offensive in Mosul is progressing or not. At the moment, there is a war against ISIS and fundamental Islamic extremism. Most people are aware of this fact however, do they realize how problematic this war has become?

The US has been at war for my entire life. I have no memories of our country not being at war. The war on terror may never end, due to stemming from religious ideology, however the complex situation still requires our nation’s utmost attention. If we fight in the Middle East, how could we potentially fight on a different front with China or Russia? This generation has become ignorant to the current war just due to its constant existence in the background of our lives. If I were to turn on the news and hope to see updates on our troops in Iraq, I would be let down.

The current state of affairs between the US and other countries like Russia, China, and Iran, in addition to the war on terror, are poorly reported in the media. If you were to ask the average American on the street if they know what’s really going on between the US and China, they most likely would have no reply. The general ignorance of the American people to world affairs is embarrassing. There has been a war going on for over eighteen years, yet do Americans act like there’s a war going on? Do news stations?

Perhaps if the media attempted to report important current affairs, instead of petty politics, then the general state of mind of Americans would change. If news outlets became less focused on entertaining the audience and gaining high ratings, they could educate the people on important happenings in our world.