What is Community?

BY: Joshua Lipowski and John Tatarian

Community is something that everyone talks about and is a part of, but, when asked to describe it, it becomes a very difficult thing to define.

To some, community is the small town that they miss. To others, community is their community groups on Wednesday nights on a college campus. To others, it is the brotherhood they share on the field.

Ultimately, there is no one size fits all definition of community. To some, it depends on the people that surround them, and their willingness to open-up.

“As a community group leader, I love it when girls come into my room and pour their heart out.” Said Tonya Henderson, a senior at Liberty University, when asked to define what community means to her.

Though some may not find such a traditional definition of community. One LU junior finds community in the TV of the same title. Tray Hampton builds community with his girlfriend by watching Community, but community goes deeper than the show itself.

“It is important to have because it keeps people hopeful that there is someone who has their best interests at heart.” Hampton said.

Community does not have one definition, but it means something to everybody. It is a place where people find comfort and belonging.

Journalism can be what ties a community together. However, that can be a double-edged sword. While a journalist can inform the people, a journalist can also have the power to mold the people of a community to one of prejudice and bias.

It is up to the community to hold journalism accountable. A community must open themselves up to diverse amounts of information to make their community the best it can possibly be.