The issue is that news in its raw form lack context. You just read the event and only have the news you immediately read before it for context. Most information

The issue is that news in its raw form lack context. You just read the event and only have the news you immediately read before it for context. Most information is better understood from a larger window. Mainstream news does not bother to educate you in those terms. That is why it isn't informative to just read the daily paper is have a very myopic understanding of the world. This also means we are likely better off reading longer, meatier articles that provide context for what is happening. They are the ones that explain why we have the present problems and why all actors are behaving as they are. Critical thinking is still required for this kind of information, but this information isn't really news. It's a sort of longform journalism that is a bit removed. But it is informative and doesn't leave the reader ignorance to current events.