Who's Reading the Watchtower?

While doing some research for a project that I have been working on for some time now I ran across two quotes from the Watchtower that make me wonder if the people who write the Watchtower actually read the Watchtower.  

In answering the question of whether or not organizational growth is an indication of God's favor or blessing the Watchtower of January 15th  2001  said the following:

"Of course, the number of those associated with Jehovah's Witnesses is not a criterion for determining if they enjoy divine favor; nor do statistics impress God." - The Watchtower, 1/15/2001, page 17

But then just four months later in the May 15th 2001 issue they said:

"Consult the current Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, and note the lands now reporting from 100,000 to nearly 1,000,000 Kingdom publishers. This is powerful proof that the Kingdom-preaching work is being blessed by Jehovah." - The Watchtower, 5/15/2001, page 13

I wonder if the writer of the second article read the first article?  I wonder if the Governing body read either of the articles? I wonder how many active Jehovah's Witnesses at the time caught that quick reversal.