Students who are unwilling to, or uninterested in, watching the news should consider watching satirical news shows like Saturday Night Live, The Daily Show and The Colbert Report as a way to stay informed; these shows offer not only an entertaining way to consume the news but also factual information that can have real-life impact on viewers’ opinions.

Reading and watching the news can be boring, especially for students who feel immediate problems like studying for exams or finding an on-campus job take priority over staying up-to-date on politics.

Satire uses humor to bring attention to real people, events and trends in society and politics in hopes of compelling viewers to think critically about what they otherwise might accept as pure fact from another news source.

It’s easy for people to perceive satire as entertainment, but people who regularly watch satirical news end up having their political opinions reinforced to the same degree as exposure to serious news, according to a Jan. 17 study by Ohio State University involving 146 students. The study provided students with eight videos on three political topics including climate change, gun control and immigration. Researchers found students who were less interested in news tended to choose the satirical videos, engaging them and ultimately increasing how much influence students felt they had in the political process.

“Satirical news can engage people who otherwise would avoid political news,” said Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick, Ohio State communications expert and researcher. “This suggests that satirical news could be a gateway into more serious news use for people who aren’t currently engaged in politics.”

When the news is presented in an appealing and accessible way, viewers become more involved and can feel empowered through another version of political knowledge.

Through providing content in such absurd ways, students are left to examine their opinion after viewing the extreme sides of an issue; whereas news tends to be very factual without an invitation to critically look at the issues.

“I like Saturday Night Live because it touches on touchy subjects that everyone else is too scared to talk about, and they take those subjects and they make them funny,” said senior communication major Emerald Bean. “No one wants to talk about [these issues], and they make sure to shine a bright light on it.”

Watching satire news can get viewers interested while increasing their knowledge of current events, urging them to research topics on their own, which results in a more informed generation of news consumers whose opinions are reinforced by knowledge rather than ungrounded personal preference.

Everyone seems to be able to find the time for entertainment – we might as well find a way to educate ourselves on the world around us while still ROLFing.