This thesis describes the ways in which one community newspaper attempts to connect a broad, diverse population bound by a common ideal, in this case religious faith. The subject of the research is the national edition of The Budget, a weekly newspaper mailed to Amish and Mennonite readers all over the world. Writers for the national edition are largely free to write about whatever they like. They pass along local information about the weather, church visits, people who have fallen ill, marriages, and other aspects of community life.
This qualitative study of The Budget explores the portrayals of Anabaptist life in those dispatches and how those portrayals unite readers. Using textual analysis, it explores common themes, ideals, and values expressed in letters, and how those expressions help create an ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿imagined community¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ among Budget readers. It builds upon past research that examines the ways in which niche publications with national followings connect with readers.