I’m a communication and journalism major, and I even tire from the news.

Turn on a news broadcast at 5 p.m. I bet at least one of the stories is something about the never-ending debt debate, someone being kidnapped or killed maliciously or even Miley Cyrus walking her dog. We are often force fed news that is depressing or just plain non-newsworthy and ridiculous.

Sometimes the news seems overwhelming, but we are curious creatures. We want to somehow make sense of the information that we are bombarded with every day.

The quote “if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry,” has never seemed more prevalent to me than it does now. When I typed the word “news” into Google, some of the stories that came up ranged from greenhouse gas concentrations reaching a record high, to a kidnapping survivor being forced to prepare a torture room, to a New York man admitting to killing his son for $700,ooo in insurance.

These are all newsworthy and heartbreaking stories. It’s constant updates like these that make watching and reading the news harder and harder.

I would never dismiss taking news seriously. We need the news. But there is nothing wrong with adding a little humor to go with it. In the wise words of Mary Poppins, “just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.”

If you combine humor and news, what do you get? Shows like “Saturday Night Live,” “Colbert Report” and websites like “The Onion” are just a few sources that take headlining news and give it a unique angle.

Satirical news sources offer a different perspective that allows us to laugh at what is going on by taking a story and dramatizing the key points.

Although these news sources seem to be for entertainment purposes only, they still give readers or viewers a chance to learn about what is going on in the news.

These different outlets say what many people are already thinking. The beauty of these outlets are the comments that showcase our humanity. We feel like we are a part of something when we can look at a situation and laugh at it. It’s healthy to look critically at our society and make observations about issues where we think something has gone wrong, which is exactly what these medium’s writers and actors set out to do. They use humor to help people understand, and they tell it like it is.

Satirical news calls out everyone, making it fair. Journalism is supposed to be impartial, fair and unbiased. Satirical news outlets embody all of these characteristics because they are equally condescending across the board.

Every weekend, I find myself giggling at my favorite sketch on SNL, “The Weekend Update.” Seth Meyers, acting as a news anchor, comments on different current events. He interviews influential people in the media who are portrayed by cast members or celebrity hosts. The skit is a parody, but it also is really informative about news events.

Part of St. Thomas’ mission is to “think critically,” and this is one way we can do that. I don’t agree with everything that is said in these types of media outlets, and some jokes are over my head, but understanding the news and why a particular issue is being satired makes learning unique.

So, the next time you are feeling a little down from the third consecutive story on job cuts, do yourself a favor and see the news through the lens of a comedian trying to figure this all out, just like the rest of us.

Johnnay Leenay can be reached at leen1980@stthomas.edu.