Part one of this series reported on the role of jw.org in distributing digital videos and publications. Part two will explore how jw.org has helped keep the worldwide brotherhood informed about current events that impact Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Timely News Articles: The JW News section of jw.org regularly features up-to-date articles with trustworthy information about our brothers. This includes regular updates on natural disasters and relief efforts, government opposition, the unjust imprisonment of our brothers and sisters in various lands, and other significant developments. For example, on March 21, 2017, an article informed the entire brotherhood of an imminent ban on the worship of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia and included an invitation to write letters to Russian government officials.

Breaking News Alerts: The Breaking News feature first appeared on jw.org in July 2017. These short alerts inform the brotherhood of breaking news events without a full-scale JW News article. For instance, alerts are produced when brothers and sisters who are imprisoned for their faith are released, such as on December 31, 2020, when Feliks Makhammadiyev was released from a Russian prison and reunited with his wife, Yevgeniya. During the pandemic, Breaking News alerts were used to advertise the online convention sessions and to distribute significant decisions by the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses, such as the return to in-person meetings and the resumption of the public ministry. Many alerts have been published merely hours after a significant event has occurred in one part of the world. For example, in June 2018, a Breaking News item was published shortly after South Korea’s Constitutional Court made the landmark decision to declare the country’s lack of an alternative civilian service provision unconstitutional.

Governing Body Updates: On March 18, 2020, the first Governing Body update was released on jw.org to provide encouragement during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many feel the same as one sister who said of the updates: “They feel like a friend personally checking on me to see if I’m OK. I can’t imagine going through the pandemic without these updates. They always come at the right time.” A total of 28 of these timely updates have been released thus far.

As the world grows more divided and significant events quickly unfold, it has become increasingly difficult to find trustworthy news sources. But we are glad that our brothers are able to receive timely and accurate reports on jw.org. This helps each of us to ‘keep calm and show trust’ in our God, Jehovah.—Isaiah 30:15.

• Videos downloaded each month

• Daily visitors each month

• Announcement of global letter-writing campaign, March 2017

• Release of first Governing Body update, March 2020

• Announcement of return to in-person meetings, March 2022

• Announcement of return to public witnessing, June 2022

• Release of online convention sessions, June through August, 2022