Is 'Promotion' Really a Dirty Word?

AA'S ELEVENTH Tradition says, "Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio and films" (and, it should add, TV!). Let me say at the start that this article will enter into no quarrel with the second half of the Tradition. Let us all continue to maintain our personal anonymity where media of communications are involved. But I do quarrel with the interpretation that is being put, more and more, on the first half of the Tradition: that it enjoins us not to make many kinds of moves to bring people into AA or to expose AA to people--for fear of the dirty word "promotion."