Magazine money

pepperheart

From next year the borg will only be publishing the two magazines saving about $2 million dollars a month. what do you think they will be spending the money on

Divergent

It's much more than 2 million. Your estimate is too low. Also, you forgot to factor in the global distribution & shipping costs, which can be a lot more than the printing costs!

I think they're in a no-win downward spiral. With the reduction in ragazines WT will have a reduction in monthly donations received. How many publishers can afford to keep donating the same amount for half as many magazines? Those publishers now have to spend more of their income to keep upgrading their tablets and data plans.

Village Idiot

"...what do you think they will be spending the money on"

More pinky rings and elite watches?

steve2

A secret hideaway in the Cayman Islands?

Mephis

I kind of want it to be a secret base in a hollowed out volcano. Wine, women and song. That would mean there's some hope there's something human going on inside the heads of the GB. But it just seems the money will go towards trying to maintain what they've decided they can still afford to do. Any expansion now seems likely to be in developing their tv channel. If the issue is one where what's going out has been much greater than what they've been taking in, any savings are already going to be swallowed up in what doesn't get cut.

Joe Grundy

There will be an impact. In the UK, the public accounts show that WTUK received several million pounds from IBSA for supplying - allegedly at cost - printed publications for the 'missionary work'.

WT and IBSA are in the same building.

Reminds me somewhat of the Starbucks/Amazon et al tax saving set-up but surely I'm mistaken?

_Morpheus

Damn it steve i really like the caymen's please dont give them any ideas

blondie

Do jws tie in their donations to the number of publications they get? Many don't give at all, Others donate based on the expenses for the local congregation, Even less give to the "worldwide work." Voting with the pocketbook? Based on comments from the accounts servants over the years and currently in my family.

sir82

Do jws tie in their donations to the number of publications they get?

This is an interesting point. JW old-timers, the ones with the most money, are accustomed to contribute "to cover the cost of printing" (how many times did we say that prior to 1990, when offering literature at the doors?).

Now, there are 12 "public" magazines a year, rather than 48 (not to mention the 12 are half the size of the old ones).

Convention attenders are strongly encouraged to download electronic copies of convention releases rather than accept the hard copies.

Even the brand new "Organized" book, the JW organization manual, is primarily online, and only available in hardcopy by special request.

How much does it cost to produce an electronic copy of a book? A minute fraction of the cost of printing on paper and distributing physical copies.

So where exactly is the motivation to continue to contribute at the level you used to?