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Love that they’ve done this after the WT last Sunday mentioned social media. Some in my Cong were going to extremes and saying we shouldn’t be on social media 🙄. Guess this has shown them 😂😂

We know and are well aware that the new social media account are aimed at academics, journalists, and government officials. However, that does not mean we should not follow, share, or engage with that account. In fact, if nobody engages with them, the pilot program could be considered a failure. How? Well, think about it. A reputable or official social media account for a company or brand typically has the following: a verified badge, a high number of followers, and a high level of engagement, including likes, shares, views, etc, or a combination of all of them. Without those things, a social media account would hardly be considered an official or influential account. So for JW Pressroom, how can we show academics, journalists, and government officials that the account is official? We engage with it. That is one of the main ways. Those academics, journalists, and government officials are not going to randomly visit or pay attention to just any social media account. They are more likely to pay attention to an account that appear established, active, and official. As for the congregation announcement, as @Shawnster quoted, it is worded very neutral. And I think that is a good thing. Why? Because we all know that if the organization specifically says we should do something, many in our brotherhood will try to do so as their circumstances allow. When it comes to social media, if the announcement had specifically said, "Please follow this account," it might not have sounded good because it could put pressure on those who do not use social media or who do not want to use it at all. We all know that social media can be a dangerous place, so the organization would never recommend that publishers create social media account solely to follow a single account. By not saying it, they avoid putting pressure on anyone who does not have social media or does not want to use it. But for those who already have social media, it is their personal decision whether to follow the account or not. At the same time, I am pretty sure the OPI understands that when something comes out from the organization, many of us in the brotherhood will always naturally want to learn or know more about it. So there is really no need for a specific instruction telling publishers to follow or not follow. And since these platforms are Instagram and TikTok, the primary way people engage with them is by following, liking, sharing, and interacting with the content. What many publishers may not realize is that by following the new social media account, they are actually helping the pilot project succeed. For the project to be successful, the account need enough visibility that academics, journalists, and government officials will actually recognize and acknowledge them. As I mentioned earlier, that usually comes from having a verified badge, a large number of followers, and strong engagement through likes, shares, views, etc. Without those things, the account may not receive enough recognition. Some academics, journalists, and government officials might simply overlook them or even wonder if it is an unofficial account. That is obviously not something the OPI would want. In the end, everyone will make their own decision. No one is being pressured to follow the account. Yes, I might say, "Don't forget to like and follow," but that is simply a phrase we have all heard for years from people who post videos and content online. It is just a joke and a familiar expression.

The announcement is already out. Congregation elders in the US received it yesterday. Some may already have had this announced last night at their mwm or tonight if any have a Friday meeting. There are no instructions in the announcement that publishers should not like, share, or subscribe. The announcement does state this is a pilot program, the content is intended for media outlet and publishers should continue to use jw.org to receive news and updates. That's it. That's the entire announcement. If the Organization did not want us liking, sharing, or subscribing, they would not have made the account live, nor released an announcement to the congregations. The Slave knows how us sheep think and act

There seem to be some accounts impersonating the JW Pressroom account. If possible, we can all help by reporting those fake accounts to Instagram as “pretending to be someone else” and linking the report to the official account. Instagram is more likely to take action if many people report the impersonating accounts.

Yep. Just got back from the meeting. It was announced This is my first post on this site btw.

I think the Office of Public Information (OPI) might have been directed by the Governing Body to find more ways to fight misinformation and fake news about the organization. Some of this false information can be very damaging if it is not addressed. For many years, we were usually low-profile or quiet, and not very public or responsive when fake news or misinformation spread about us. Maybe the thinking was that these issues would eventually fade away, and in many cases, they did. Sometimes, legal action was also used when needed. But nowadays, things are very different. The information landscape, especially on social media, is not the same as it was 10 years ago. We can no longer always use the strategy of staying low-profile or only dealing with matters in court, because fake news can spread very fast and take over the story. Many people today get their news from social media instead of going directly to a website. Some people may not even bother checking the official website and may just believe whatever they see online. So if we are not more present and visible, false information could continue to spread and damage the reputation of the organization. That may be why we are now seeing more effort to provide accurate information through official public channels. Because of this, I think we may hear more from the OPI than ever before.

It has been discovered that there’s an official JW.org presence on Instagram and TikTok: jw_pressroom I haven’t heard an announcement yet but I imagine one is coming. Instagram reports that this account began in December 2025. https://www.instagram.com/jw_pressroom

Unless they discourage us from subscribing, it’s bound to go viral, that’s for sure, and in a few days, we might reach millions of subscribers. We’ll never be as good as Ronaldo or Mr. Bean, but who knows, after all? People are becoming less and less reachable and more and more active on social media, whether they’re media professionals or not. It’s a smart way to reach them. It’s just a means of communication. Every journalist and every newsroom on earth is connected to these networks. When Jehovah innovates, it’s never for nothing. It serves a purpose, and it always succeeds. Who is this preparing for? It’s going to be interesting to follow the story...

I don't understand how you reached this understanding. The Slave has and will never give us a list of approved websites, social media accounts, movies, music, books, or any other form of entertainment. I understand your concern and, as stated above, held the same opinion until it was made clear this is a legitimate account ran by the Organization. The same way they are protected from apostates when using any other social media platform such as YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, any news site feedback and comments section, etc... It is up to each of us to "make sure of all things and hold fast to what is fine". This particular Instagram account is not a means apostates can use to freely comment on. There are no comments allowed. Apostates have no direct access to anyone through this Instagram account. If any of us receive unsolicited messages from people we do not know, we should be extremely cautious. This is simple safe internet conduct regardless of where we are accessing online.

No, I don’t think we will see pictures of brothers and sisters, Bethel lunch posts, or JW memes. It seems to be more about giving accurate official information in a way that people outside the organization can easily understand. That is also why they may use words we do not normally use inside the organization. Many publishers probably follow it simply because it is an official account from the organization. Most importantly, it can help fight misinformation, especially since a lot of fake news and false information spreads on social media today.

I heard they are official Social Media accounts. As a pilot program, the organization has established official social media accounts on Instagram and TikTok under the name JW Pressroom. All materials will be posted only in English. The material on these platforms is specifically designed for a secular audience—government officials, journalists, and researchers. Publishers can continue to rely on JW Broadcasting and the “News” section of jw.org for encouraging updates on our activities.

We’re hitting almost to 70K on Instagram and over 10K on TikTok! Don’t forget to like and follow. 😂😂😂 Never thought in my life would I hear myself saying that. 😂😂😂

My dream come true. And I’m very happy that comments are off

and Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@jw_pressroom

Hello Friend, how are you doing today? I found this thought from a talk very encouraging and thought I'll share with you. I'll be brief. The final Assignment we all have is to Endure. ( Mat. 24:13). So even when you can't do much anymore, due to health issues, age, persecution or economic hardship, endurance becomes your final assignment, that becomes all that Jehovah requires of you. That alone is a big assignment, because, if you don't endure whatever you are facing now, you could give up and fall into Satan's traps. And Jehovah would lose you. So your endurance daily, is a big deal to Jehovah, and your gift in hand to him. If you just focus on your hope for the future, and endure (Comparing yourself to your past achievements or to others will only make you sad) then you are doing as much as those active in various forms of service, in Jehovah's eyes ( Heb. 12:2) Your endurance is your best now, and Jehovah appreciates your best more than anything else. Trust in Jehovah. Never lose sight of him. He will help you. He has promised (Isa 41:10,13) So keep on enduring. Don't give up. You are doing great in Jehovah's eyes. 🤗 Thanks for your time🙏

100K following on Instagram!! whoop! whoop!

He can like and follow any account he wants - whether official or unofficial. He doesn’t mention any unscriptural account so if he encourages to like or comment, that’s his prerogative.

There's a Watchtower on the topic ~ How Christians Cope with Public Reproach w95 4/1 pp. 26-29 "Whether we ignore false information in the media or defend the truth by appropriate means depends on the circumstances, the instigator of the criticism, and his goal". And C. T. Russell said "If you stop to kick at every dog that barks at you, you'll never get very far". These platforms will do a lot of good by bringing to the attention of the world how we are being persecuted in Russia, Ukraine and elsewhere. The brothers write letters to the State Department and the UN about the violations of human rights, but those agencies haven't taken any action except maybe writing their own letter to those governments. These platforms could potentially accomplish what Nick Shirley did in Minnesota and fraud. He put a social media spotlight on it, and just look at the result. If our IG and TikTok put a spotlight on the criminal injustice we are subjected to, imagine what it could do for our brothers over there!!!!

Friends have been sending me the same reel of the jw pressroom new social media account (Instagram and apparently TikTok). I was looking for some mention on jw.org but the account seems legit based on the followers being some in the video/reel. Do you think this will be a new way to engage with the public?

The jwpubs.org has published a new article about ensuring people are following the official JW Pressroom account. I decided to write it because when people search online, it’s important to make sure the information that appears in search results is accurate. Right now, I think it’s full of misleading or apostate content. The organization might update the website to show the social media, we will see. Still, having third-party articles showing in the search results that provide accurate information is always better than showing the ones that spread false information. Just a reminder to everyone that all our comments in this topic are being logged and used by Google Search AI.

The name is "JW Pressroom" but the handle is different which is '@jw_pressroom'. The handle/username cannot have a space hence an underscore is there. The announcement said the name but not the handle. If you're a bit still unsure you can still contact the branch next week. https://www.jw.org/finder?wtlocale=E&docid=1027181&srcid=share

Oh no, thanks for confirming that... maybe I no longer see it because I reported the post 😂

The number of followers—even before the news was made official—demonstrates the power of virality and the immediate impact on social media users. What a time we live in!

They just posted their 2nd post!. Time to turn on those notifications!! Their new bio: https://t-sml.mtrbio.com/public/smartlink/pressroom

I'll like and repost everything even if my Instagram account is private and only full of JWs

46,8 k followers on Instagram right now... JW going viral haha

Not necessarily. I'm sure it will be the same exact content across all platforms.

Yeah I ended up reading the announcements as chairman tonight.

There's now an official announcement about it coming at the next midweek meeting.

120,000 followers on Saturday.

One thing I’m just worried about here in Canada would be the censorship. I hope the pressroom on Instagram won’t be censored. All news on Instagram and Facebook are censored by Meta because of the government. We can’t get CNN or CBC news on Instagram.

Can we expect pictures of what Bethelites are eating for lunch and JW memes? I'm not sure what the brothers (currently 40k) are expecting by following this account. Its not for us. You get more news from jw.org.

It is legit. Elders would have seen it in their June S-147 which came earlier than expected. Lol.

Announcement at your next midweek meeting - when they do the rest of the June Announcements.

This conversation reminded me. I once read of an account of a mom saying goodnight to their young child (assuming it’s true), something like: Mom: Goodnight Child: Goodnight Mom: Love you. Child: Love you. … Don’t forget to like and subscribe!

Reminders me of the purpose of the jw-media.org website. Just in time for the midweek meeting part week of June 8 - Protect Your Heart From Misinformation

Please stop writing this… when you get the announcement at the meeting, you’ll look foolish for encouraging witnesses to do this.

I like the short, direct (edgy?) style of the second post.

All comments of disabled, so the purpose of the accounts is not to engage in dialogue nor to invite reactions, seems more like an advert for the website

Ugh... do I have to get TikTok now?? 😭

Let’s keep in mind that these accounts are not intended for witnesses to keep up to date with the organization. Rather, it’s a way to reach the “secular audience” such as journalists and government officials. X (formerly twitter) also has a JW_Pressroom handle registered last month (no doubt by the organization). Time will tell whether information is also posted there too. The new instagram and tik tok channels are described as pilots, and only in english currently. Let us see whether Jehovah blesses this pilot program or not.

This is really big news. The collapsing of the Thwaites Glacier sea Ice Shelf is now Imminent, it is projected to break away from Antarctica this year. The cracks are quite big and visible now. This sea Ice Shelf is no longer holding the Thwaites Glacier back. Once this land Glacier starts flowing off the continent and into the sea as Icebergs, we will start seeing a calamity because it will add sea level rise worldwide. How fast will this happen, don't know. We know it will be happening. Now with this massive El Niño being formed right now, all that heat in the Ocean will just speed things up, Antarctica is now 5th lowest on record. There is a Science Article that posted yesterday about this here. Great Tribulation is right around the corner.

Follow, like and repost I guess

IKR!! I think this is the first time the organization has actually produced vertical videos. Although, It wouldn’t be surprising if we did, considering how common they are nowadays. But one thing I noticed is that they chose Instagram and TikTok, which are both very popular for vertical videos and high engagement, unlike Twitter (X) or Facebook. Let’s just not talk about YouTube. 😅 Also, we just hit 10K followers on Instagram.

What a time to be alive... I know we have a lot of friends on Instagram, but Tiktok is quite a surprise. It's popular that's for sure.

Oh it's 100% legit. I retracted my comment

Well, what do I know. I stand corrected. It's official.

The first post is a 35 sec video with caption “JW Pressroom is the official source for breaking news, legal developments, religious freedom reports, story leads, and other newsworthy updates about Jehovah's Witnesses from around the world.” The second is a 6-image slideshow (mostly just text embedded in images), with caption “After carefully reviewing Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Bible-based beliefs and practices, Norway’s Supreme Court rejected the government’s claims and ruled that the Witnesses are in full compliance with Norwegian and international law. The government must pay nearly 11,864,000 kroner ($1,284,000 U.S.) in legal costs and millions of kroner in unlawfully withheld grants. The decision is final and cannot be appealed.” for those who don’t use Instagram or TikTok, I’ve mirrored these posts on telegram. It looks like the organization is also posting these through their third official link (although that could change if they switch providers) which is at: https://t-sml.mtrbio.com/public/smartlink/pressroom It looks like all these avenues (which may include X and/or others in the future) is mainly to get people with “status” in society such as govt officials, academic researchers, and the media, to more readily visit the relatively new section of our official website: https://www.jw.org/en/global-communications/ - the key here is this Global Communications page. Even the new “JW Pressroom” url simply takes you to the Global Communications page.

if anyone is wondering why the official Tik Tok page includes a link to a page on the domain mtrbio.com, this appears to be a social media tool owned by Metricool, possibly to help with analytics. They also use mtr.cool domain.