Digital Publishing in Sensitive Areas
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Your gift will support a growing media company that explores digital publishing of Scripture and cultural materials.
The barriers are breathtaking.
Some countries in the “10/40 Window” explicitly prohibit the sale and distribution of Scripture-based products. Some attempt to suppress any materials in lesser-known languages. In others, legislation is unnecessary: social and religious blockades are powerful enough.
The number of cell phone subscriptions across the globe topped 5 billion in 2011, according to the International Telecommunication Union. The explosion in cell phone use has been driven not only by developed countries, but by developing nations hungry for services like mobile banking and health care.
To utilize this swiftly growing avenue, a newly formed media company explores digital publishing of Scripture and cultural materials in the 10/40 Window’s lesser-known languages. The company helps local teams create resource-packed Web sites that are uniquely tailored to each community’s language and culture. And every site is accessible by computers, mobile phones, PDAs, and other devices.
By partnering with JAARS, you can help support this growing media company—by providing funds for equipment, software development, and communication needs. During the next year, the company aims to:
- recruit and train more staff
- refine the software platform used for Internet publishing
- continue monitoring sample sites to measure benefits
- develop site templates and create dozens more sites
- build partnerships for technology and materials
- investigate financially sustainable business models, particularly a “business as mission” approach
