Letters as indicators of community values: Two case studies of alternative magazines

This study examines how letters to the editor in alternative magazines can serve both as indicia of virtual community (a collective phenomenon) and as artifacts of how community members interact with those communities (an individual-level phenomenon). Analysis of letters published in two very different alternative magazines demonstrates the role of letters to the editor in articulating and crafting collective values as well as serving as textual avatars and a means of leadership for community members.