1. Mt. McKinley was renamed its original Alaskan native name, “Mt. Denali.”
2.  The Supreme Court ruled against the Kentucky county clerk who refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses.
3. A reporter and a photographer were killed on live television.
4. ISIS destroyed Temple of Bel in Palmyra.
5.  A student was shot at Savannah University.
As college students, we are all here with a common goal of seeking higher education and bettering ourselves. But, why aren’t we seeking higher education in the form of what we choose to read in our free time? If you weren’t aware, the list above is a list of current events that have occurred over the past week.
Why do Eagle News articles such as “Ten things you forgot to bring to college” become our top viewed stories as opposed to stories covering actual news?  We are turning a blind eye to the news, and it needs to stop now.
I don’t need to read a list of “The 30 ways you know you’re a ’90s baby,” to clarify when I was born. The only thing I need to read to make sure I was born in the ’90s is my birth certificate.
What you don’t know can, in fact, hurt you. We should be reading articles that benefit our knowledge and that allow us to contribute to the conversation. I can guarantee the next time you are out networking it will make a far greater impression on your colleagues if you can talk about the candidates for presidency and their policies rather than listing off 10 reasons why someone is your “person” and why  No. 3 made you cry.
Why is it that some of us contain ourselves to a parameter of knowledge that only extends to celebrity pop culture and list articles with funny gifs? These are not examples of hard-hitting, intelligent journalism, and they are giving anyone the capability and the misguided honor of calling themselves a published writer.
The definition of journalism is “the activity of gathering, assessing, creating, and presenting newsworthy information.” Newsworthy information. Want better for yourself? Demand better from your news outlets.
I’m not saying to rid your life of celebrity news and funny gifs. I’m urging you to broaden your knowledge, so you can be a well-rounded adult capable of holding a conversation that’s a little heavier than knowledge you gathered from a list article.
There comes a point when we as a whole need to realize that there is so much more outside of our secure bubble of knowledge that is worth knowing. Clickbait articles are not newsworthy.