President Donald Trump has dominated U.S. news headlines since he announced his candidacy in June 2015. He quickly grabbed the attention of media outlets and voters by stating in his announcement speech, “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best … They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”

That announcement speech, the campaign that unfolded and Trump’s first months in office have all been unprecedented. But, have we become too consumed by Trump’s words and actions that important stories are going unnoticed?

Cable news networks and major domestic newspapers have been consumed by questioning, fact-checking and reporting on the Trump administration and Congress. Their resources have been spent by reporting on the president’s tweets, the Special Counsel investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 elections, leaks in the administration, high-level resignations and the progress, or lack thereof, of legislation in Congress.

These are very important issues that require investigation and reporting. At the same time, however, stories involving independence, votes, possible ethnic cleansing, health insurance for children and many, many more topics have been underreported. News stories on these issues appear in the news cycle for a short amount of time and/or are overshadowed by “breaking news” from Trump’s Twitter account.

This is important to note because investigations and reports by journalists help inform the public about important issues. They help motivate people to take action so positive change can be implemented. Imagine the atrocities that would be continuously carried out if no one was able to shine a light on the issue. Journalists provide that source of light to expose faults in our society and it is up to readers to act on the information provided.

It is easy to be consumed by the reports coming out of Washington. It is important to be informed about the current status of our government and to be civically engaged with our members of Congress. However, do not let that focus on Washington exhaust you to the point where news stories of equal or greater importance go unnoticed.

You can help by diversifying your sources of news. Challenge yourself to read, listen or watch a different media outlet both domestically and internationally. Set up news alerts about issues and topics you care about that might not make the evening news. This can also help if you get your news primarily from social media platforms where echo-chambers can be established based on what accounts you follow.

We are currently living through a unique time in American and global history. A lot of stories are competing for our attention and it can be easy to be consumed by the chaos and dysfunction of our current political system. But, the reward of a greater global knowledge is worth the extra effort required in answering the question, “What’s happening in the world today?”