Anonymity Letter to Media from the General Service Office of Alcoholics Anonymous

June 1, 2016
 A Note of Thanks and a
Request for Continued Cooperation.

From time to time we write our friends in the media to thank them for helping us observe our long-standing tradition of anonymity for members of Alcoholics Anonymous. 

First, let us express our deep gratitude to you. From the beginning of A.A. in 1935, its members have recognized that word-of-mouth is not sufficient by itself to carry the program’s message of hope and recovery to the many people still suffering from alcoholism. The media has been a vital part of this effort, and today we estimate that there are more than 2 million successfully recovering members of Alcoholics Anonymous in more than 180 countries. 

Second, we respectfully request that you continue to cooperate with us in maintaining the anonymity of A.A. members. The principle of anonymity is a basic tenet of our fellowship. Those who are reluctant  to seek our help may overcome their fear if they are confident that their anonymity will be respected. In addition, and perhaps less understood, our tradition of anonymity acts as a restraint on A.A. members, reminding us that we are a program of principles, not personalities, and that no individual A.A. member may presume to act as a spokesman or leader of our fellowship. If an A.A. member is identified in the media, we ask that you please use first names only (e.g., Bob S. or Alice F.) and that you not use photographs or electronic images in which members’ faces may be recognized. 

Again, we thank you for your continued cooperation. Those who wish to know more about our fellowship are welcome to visit the  “For the Media” section of aa.org.  We hope you will take a moment to watch a brief video on why anonymity remains a vital principle in Alcoholics Anonymous.

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.

Sincerely,

Public Information Committee
of Alcoholics Anonymous

Contact: publicinfo@aa.org