Here's a "press release" written by an anonymous source that can be sent to the media about the thinner magazines

by AndersonsInfo 44 Replies latest jw friends

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  AndersonsInfo

  March 26, 2012

  News item:

  Jehovah's Witnesses to reduce pages in Watchtower & Awake! Magazines
  More attention being given to Internet evangelism

  Starting next year, if you obtain a magazine when a Jehovah's Witness calls at your door you'll notice it's a bit thinner. Beginning in January 2013, the public issues of the magazines Watchtower and Awake!, both published monthly, will be reduced to 16 pages from their usual 32 pages. (A monthly issue of the Watchtower, circulated only to members, will remain at 32 pages.) Witness leaders, the Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses in Patterson, New York, have sent out a letter to congregation elders dated April 2, 2012 announcing the change (see PDF attachment), noting the effect the Internet is having on their traditional print ministry:

  "The Governing Body has noted the growing tendency for people to obtain reading material
  from the Internet and has carefully weighed the effect this trend is having on the printing industry
  and on our ability to obtain paper and equipment for printing. Based on these changing conditions,
  effective with the issues of January 2013, Awake! and the public edition of The Watchtower will be
  reduced from 32 pages to 16 pages. These magazines that we distribute to the public will continue
  to provide a rich supply of enlightening material to attract people to the truth of God’s Word. Since
  each issue will contain less material, it may be possible for more translation teams to be able to
  translate every issue of Awake! and the public edition of The Watchtower, thus increasing the number
  of languages in which they are available. The study edition of The Watchtower will continue to
  be a 32-page magazine."

  The letter from Witness headquarters also announces a consolidation and upgrade of their web presence:

  "To enhance the effectiveness of our use of the Internet, the Governing Body has decided to consolidate
  the three sites into one site called jw.org. The Web site will be completely redesigned. It will be
  appealing and easy to navigate using either a computer or a mobile device."

  Witness evangelists will still be calling door-to-door but Witness leaders are expecting their message will reach many more people via the Internet.

  Contact:

  Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses
  (845) 306-1100
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  james_woods

  Why would the media care about an "advanced notice" of them cutting their public magazine from 32 to 16 pages?

  After all - from the rumors, they are going to announce it themselves in a week or so - if the media is that interested in this detail, then they can wait for the official word from the ivory tower.
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  DaCheech

  ha ha
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  edmond dantes

  Thanks for keeping us up to date Barbara. It looks like the the printed magazines are going to end up like a tract this must be a new important milestone in the history of the Watchtower. All the Witnesses will need computors now.
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  MidwichCuckoo

  I wonder how JWs would react gaining this information from a 'Worldly' source prior to its official 'release' from God's own organisation..?
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  No Room For George

  "To enhance the effectiveness of our use of the Internet, the Governing Body has decided to consolidate
  the three sites into one site called jw.org. The Web site will be completely redesigned. It will be
  appealing and easy to navigate using either a computer or a mobile device."

  Witness evangelists will still be calling door-to-door but Witness leaders are expecting their message will reach many more people via the Internet.

  If this is the case, is there any hope of field service becoming a thing of the past or cut down to some degree? Most JWs enjoy the ministry as much as they enjoy diarreah.
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  MidwichCuckoo

  I recall the when the book study ceased. It was announced on here some weeks prior to the official announcements at KHs. I told one (very active) JW about the upcoming announcement and they responded something like 'that would never happen, they'd never stop the book study' and dismissed it. On the day of the announcement, that JW knew what was coming (and told me afterwards).

  Imagine if every JW in every congregation knew all these 'top secret' announcements a few weeks ahead of time?
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  james_woods

  If this is the case, is there any hope of field service becoming a thing of the past or cut down to some degree? Most JWs enjoy the ministry as much as they enjoy diarreah.

  I doubt it. The door-to-door thing is a control mechanism. It never gained converts, and it no longer produces income. But it is still important as a control mechanism.
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  MidwichCuckoo

  It never gained converts, and it no longer produces income. But it is still important as a control mechanism.

  True. Yet I bet JWs would disagree. I know JWs who have 'placed the magazines' with the same people for many years (20+), and those people have no intention of ever converting. Yet they are part of the 'magazine route'. They're classed as 'interested ones' (lol). A neighbour of mine has the magazines just because they don't like saying no (and I bet that's not uncommon).
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  wha happened?

  "To enhance the effectiveness of our use of the Internet, the Governing Body has decided to consolidate
  the three sites into one site called jw.org. The Web site will be completely redesigned. It will be
  appealing and easy to navigate using either a computer or a mobile device."

  So now through careful negotiation with satan, the internet has been handed back to God. This is a desparate act on the part of the GB, as they have vilianized the web so much. Well with this new found freedom of the internet, it will be alot easier for dubs to search. You can imagine parents hovering over their kids to see what they are doing, but if the encouragement is to visit jw.org, it's only natural they will look at other sites as well.

  I would expect to see call center type set ups at the KH. Still keeps the dubs busy, they are in one room so it's easy to watch them and what they say. Honestly I think this will turn into a whole new level of control of the publishers. I wouldn't be surprised if inquries end up going directly to a KH in the area. The books come from the KH so the society still makes the revenue