The media was recently ablaze with stories of pop-diva Beyonce lip-syncing during an Inauguration Day performance.

Sam Houston State University student newspaper reporter Morgan Mears notes that this is an example of the mainstream media’s complete misunderstanding of what type of news should be its focus.

Normally when one hears the word “news,” they tend to think about politics, the economy and current wars, or engagements going on in the world, not whether or not the current First Lady’s bangs work for her. Much of what is considered news in today’s society is truly just celebrity stories, and gossip. Unfortunately much of what is actually hard hitting, factual news is being left unread by the masses.

While many people tuned in on Monday to watch the newly re-elected President Barack Obama be publicly sworn into office, instead they bore witness to a parade of celebrities competing with the inauguration.

One celebrity who has been in the media lately due to the large part she played in the President’s inauguration is Beyoncé. According to a story published on Newsday.com, many people were upset and distracted by the celebrity’s lip syncing of the national anthem during the inauguration.

With so many people focused on whether or not Beyoncé had a backup track during the national anthem, the true reason for her even syncing the song is being over looked. It was for the 2013 presidential inauguration, people.

We overlook the big picture and the things that matter. We’re focusing on the glitz and glamour of society rather than the nitty-gritty facts important news. Whether or not Beyoncé was lip syncing at the inauguration pales in comparison to what the event was and what it meant, the inauguration itself is meant to signify the beginning of Obama’s second term. It is not meant to be a concert or a parade of celebrities.

Another such example of society preferring irrelevant news to factual, hard-hitting news was during one of the 2008 Democratic Primaries. The media focused mainly on the fact that Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton wore a red suit, as opposed to something more traditional like a black or blue suit.

With society focused on what Clinton was wearing and not what her actual platform was and what she, as a candidate for presidency, planned to do if she had been elected, many people failed to understand the difference between the two candidates when it came time to actually vote.

The race for presidency and the winning of an election is more important than whether or not the national anthem was sang via lip syncing or if it was live; it is more important than what color a candidate for presidency’s suit was