How to help carry A.A.’s message of hope and recovery in the media.
From the beginning, we have recognised that word-of-mouth is not enough to carry A.A.’s message of hope and recovery to the many people still suffering from alcoholism. We’ve needed help – and the media has been a vital part of this mahi. Today A.A. is present in more than 180 countries including Aotearoa New Zealand. Every week right here at home, more than 500 A.A. groups meet, offering a safe place for problem drinkers to find recovery. Much of A.A.’s growth can be attributed to the willingness of journalists and media professionals around the world to take an interest in our Fellowship.
While our members remain anonymous, their stories are meant to be shared. Alcoholics Anonymous is founded on the simple principle of one alcoholic helping another. By telling our stories, you help the still-suffering alcoholic hear something of themselves in our experience. When they recognise that they too have this thing called alcoholism, they can begin to see that they are not alone – and that there is a solution.
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Office phone: +64 (04) 472 4250
We are people who have discovered, and admitted, that we cannot control alcohol. We have one primary purpose: to stay sober ourselves and to help others who may turn to us for help in achieving sobriety. We are not reformers, and we’re not allied with any group, cause, or religious denomination. We have no wish to “dry up” the world. We don’t recruit new members, but we do welcome them. We don’t impose our experience with problem drinking on others, but we do share it when we’re asked to do so. We don’t think we are the only people who have the answer to problem drinking. We know that the A.A. programme works for us, and we have seen it work for many who wanted to quit drinking.
A.A. strives to be inclusive, and never exclusive. As a Fellowship we seek to support the wellbeing of all members as we evolve toward greater diversity, equity, and inclusivity. A.A. members include those with varying abilities, sexual identities, races, ethnicities, gender identities, religions, or no religion, languages, neighbourhoods, socioeconomic backgrounds, and ages. Any person who is seeking help with a drinking problem can call themselves a member. A person is a member if they say they are a member. It’s that simple.
The principle of anonymity is at the core of our Fellowship. Those who are reluctant to seek our help often overcome their fear if they are confident that their anonymity will be respected.
Our names and pictures as A.A. members ought not be broadcast, filmed, or publicly printed. Our public relations should be guided by the principle of attraction rather than promotion. There is never need to praise ourselves. We feel it better to let our friends recommend us.
If an A.A. member is identified in the media, we ask that you please use first names only (e.g., Sofia M. or Ben T.) and that you not use images in which members’ faces may be recognised. This helps to provide members with the security that anonymity can bring. We encourage the focus to be on the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous rather than any personalities.
Our tradition of anonymity acts as a healthy guardrail for A.A. members, reminding us that we are a programme of principles, not personalities, and that no individual A.A. member acts as a spokesperson of our Fellowship. While A.A. members can freely share their experience, they do not speak for A.A. as a whole. In Aotearoa New Zealand we have two Class A (non-alcoholic) Board Members who are able to act as public-facing representatives (since they do not require anonymity) – they support A.A.’s mission without being members.
You can email our Media & Communications Board Member at [email protected] who can contact the media outlet directly to inform them of A.A.’s principle of anonymity. In line with Tradition Two, our leaders are but trusted servants, they do not govern.
A.A. has one primary purpose, to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers. As such, Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the A.A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy. Our Fellowship does not comment on matters of public controversy, but we are happy to provide information about A.A. to anyone who seeks it. Get in touch: [email protected].
In Aotearoa New Zealand there are around 500 meetings every week both in-person and online. A.A. is active in approximately 180 countries. Because A.A. has never attempted to keep formal membership lists, it is extremely difficult to obtain completely accurate figures on total membership at any given time.
No. A misconception about Alcoholics Anonymous is that it is a religious organisation. Since A.A. groups often rent space in churches, attending an A.A. meeting in a church basement can reinforce that impression, and the possibility of hearing a prayer at the end of a meeting can further cement the idea for some. Yet A.A.’s pioneering members realised from the beginning that their sole purpose was to help people gain sobriety, and they went to great lengths to ensure the broadest membership among all who suffer from alcoholism. A.A. is a Fellowship, a community of like-minded sufferers who have found a way out of a hopeless condition.
No. Alcoholics Anonymous is fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions. It relies solely on the voluntary contributions of its members. Learn more about A.A.’s Seventh Tradition and principle of self-support.
A.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organisation or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any causes. While an A.A. group may cooperate with anyone, such cooperation ought never go so far as affiliation or endorsement, actual or implied. An A.A. group can bind itself to no one.
