Question
1:
Share
experience on getting articles on AA in the local press and make
suggestions on how the Fellowship can get articles into the national
press.
Background
1. Members are having some success on getting articles on AA in their local newspapers
2. The Fellowship has not succeeded so far in getting articles on AA in the national press.
Background
1. Members are having some success on getting articles on AA in their local newspapers
2. The Fellowship has not succeeded so far in getting articles on AA in the national press.
[See
also: The Traditions, Preamble and Concepts]
Extracts:
“A
couple of years ago I had one of the most rewarding days for me in
recovery; a few hours spent manning an AA stall in a shopping centre
as part of Alcohol Awareness Week, answering inquiries from the
general public. A banner displaying the AA logo and Alcoholics
Anonymous name had been kindly sent down from GSO for the event via
the intergroup Public Information Liaison Officer. I was serving as a
local Public Information co-ordinator for my town at the time and
helped the intergroup PI officer organise the event and volunteers to
man the stalls in two towns. On one of the days we were short of
volunteers, so I took a day’s annual leave from work to cover. I
wrote a small article the following day for the local paper. The
article gave brief details that AA taken part in Alcohol Awareness
Week, by having the stall in the shopping centre; brief details of
AA, the national AA helpline number and GSO website. The article was
checked and OK’d by the intergroup PI officer and sent to the
paper. It was rewarding to see the article published in the local
paper the following week.
I think more could be done using local press and suggest it could be considered by Public Information committees to send articles of newsworthy items to the local paper now and then, for example, when a new meeting opens, or the occasional intergroup news, for example:
“The 152nd assembly of Alcoholics Anonymous [county name] met on [date of intergroup assembly][description of topics worthy of press release] brief details of AA, brief history of AA locally, for example: The first AA meeting to be held in [name of county] started in [date and town of first meeting] there are now [number of meetings in county] in [names of towns, villages]” The article ending with the national helpline number and something like “For more online information about AA and list of local AA meetings visit www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk”
Unfortunately local coordinated PI efforts collapsed after a group affiliated to the Primary Purpose Group of AA (Dallas) cult and Dick B cult started up and did its own competitive brand of PI without consultation with the local PI/ Intergroup PI team, and without consideration for PI guidelines and traditions. I found myself answering complaints from outside agencies about the group's behaviour. ”
I think more could be done using local press and suggest it could be considered by Public Information committees to send articles of newsworthy items to the local paper now and then, for example, when a new meeting opens, or the occasional intergroup news, for example:
“The 152nd assembly of Alcoholics Anonymous [county name] met on [date of intergroup assembly][description of topics worthy of press release] brief details of AA, brief history of AA locally, for example: The first AA meeting to be held in [name of county] started in [date and town of first meeting] there are now [number of meetings in county] in [names of towns, villages]” The article ending with the national helpline number and something like “For more online information about AA and list of local AA meetings visit www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk”
Unfortunately local coordinated PI efforts collapsed after a group affiliated to the Primary Purpose Group of AA (Dallas) cult and Dick B cult started up and did its own competitive brand of PI without consultation with the local PI/ Intergroup PI team, and without consideration for PI guidelines and traditions. I found myself answering complaints from outside agencies about the group's behaviour. ”
Comment:
If you want a job doing badly ….... get the cult involved!
Cheerio
The
Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)
See
also AA Minority Report 2013
