Given the protections of the first amendment (the freedom of the press), you would think that the U.S. would likely have the most unbiased, open media of any free country. News broadcasters would speak information about daily events throughout the country and the world, and political bias would be rarely found except for in opinion pieces.

Oh, how I wish this was true.

I often refuse to watch any American news because it is, quite frankly, propaganda. CNN, MSNBC, NBC, New York Times, Fox News, and many other outlets report nothing except political rambling and/or insults to the current president. Events happen all throughout the world every single day, and most Americans are completely uninformed because all they watch is cable news or American news sites. For example, did you know that on January 23, the day this was written, Venezuela demanded that the U.S. withdraw its ambassadors within three days?

Probably not.

This is simply one example of the myriad of events that are ignored by the American media in order to push whatever agenda they see fit. In fact, last year, CNN spent over 90 percent of its airtime on covering Trump, often repetitively with no new information. So how are we being tricked and misinformed?

We're being blinded from the real issues in the world.

The complete omission of legitimate news, in my opinion, is fully intentional. Stories that can be used for political gain are tirelessly reported upon until individuals get what they need out of it. By being bombarded with political rhetoric and questionable scandals every single day, people begin to lose sight of the rest of the world. People stop worrying about civil unrest and terrorism in other countries. People forget that other countries are in economic turmoil that may have lasting effects on the regions surrounding it. The news is no longer reporting, it's simply overpaid anchors spewing their opinions for hours on end to turn the American people into sheep. The American media truly doesn't care about reporting news anymore, and it's shameful.

The Solution? Stop being a sheep.

If you watch American news regularly, pay attention to what you're watching. Take note of what is being said, what is being reported, and if you hear anything that even resembles news. If it seems useless, turn it off. These channels can only survive with their viewers, and if viewership begins to drop dramatically, so does money. Money drives everything in this world, and it might just be enough to force channels to rethink their broadcasting. As for locating useful news, the internet can be your best friend for finding legitimate news. I highly encourage looking for French, German, or Norwegian news sites. These countries still report actual events in the world, instead of constant political BS.

Don't allow our 'news' media to blind you to the world you live in. Rise up against it. Become informed, and become involved.