The term “news” is relative. What is considered news to one person may be completely irrelevant to another. In the United States, we are fortunate enough to have numerous sources from which we can obtain news. But it is this widespread availability to access information that distorts our true recognition of news and our understanding of the world around us. The relevancy of a story depends upon the audience viewing its content.

Recently there have been several occurrences of controversial events, but the American public has thus far failed to realize that events like these are regular occurrences elsewhere. Take the case of former NFL running back Ray Rice, for example. A video of Rice brutally knocking out his fiancée, who he has since married, was brought to light by TMZ and controversy was soon to follow. Days later, NFL running back Adrian Peterson was arrested on charges of reckless or negligent injury to a child.

These two instances continue to influence the American press, bringing constant news coverage to the subject of abuse. But why were Americans drawn to their screens when cases of domestic abuse come up every day across the nation? While people like Rice and Peterson do have a higher profile than the subjects of other news stories, that does not necessarily mean that these other news stories are any less important than the ones garnering the attention of the media.

The problem of physical abuse extends far beyond just those put in the media’s spotlight. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, on average, nearly 20 Americans each minute are victims of physical violence by an intimate partner. Physical abuse is a widespread problem, not just in our nation, but throughout the world. A 2013 report conducted by the World Health Organization concluded that 30 percent of women worldwide are affected by domestic violence. However, with the way we Americans have followed the incidents of Rice and Peterson, one would think they were the most severe cases of abuse. Though the media often reports on the personal issues of prominent individuals, we tend to pay attention to any story highlighted in the news, causing many important global issues to go unnoticed. While many Americans were focusing their attention on the stories of Rice and Peterson, President Barack Obama outlined his plan for increased military action against a Sunni jihadist group, the Islamic State or Iraq and the Levant, commonly known as ISIS. A story with such heavy implications on our nation’s future certainly should have received more media attention than the cases of Rice and Peterson, which likely do not have a direct effect on much of the American population.

When watching American news stories unfold, we must assess their significance and global relevance. Many of us tend to quickly conclude that what we see on the 7 p.m. news is all that is important in the world, but our narrow mindsets fail to allow ourselves to acknowledge that there is news beyond what we see on our televisions.

Not all of the world’s problems appear in our news outlets. Rather than solely staying up-to-date on our American news, we should be focusing more on comprehensive issues that may not accumulate as much national examination. We cannot consider ourselves global citizens if we only pay attention to news relevant to ourselves.

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The editorial Board is composed of executive editors, the Managing Editor and the Editor-in-Chief.