Editing Alcoholics Anonymous (section)

=== Media coverage leads to expansion ===
In 1939, media coverage, particularly from ''[[The Cleveland Plain Dealer]]'', generated a surge of interest and requests for help.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2016-09-14 |title=Alcoholics Anonymous: Series of 1939 Plain Dealer articles - AA History |url=https://www.aacle.org/alcoholics-anonymous-series-1939-plain-dealer-articles/ |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=Alcoholics Anonymous Cleveland |language=en-US}}</ref> The Cleveland group, although small, successfully assisted many alcoholics, quickly growing from 20 to around 500 members.<ref name=":1" /> A subsequent article in ''Liberty'' magazine resulted in a flood of requests for assistance, further expanding AA's reach.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mackie |first=Ed |title=The Impact on Early A.A. of the 1939 Liberty Magazine Article |url=https://silkworth.net/alcoholics-anonymous/the-impact-on-early-a-a-of-the-1939-liberty-magazine-article/}}</ref>  In 1941, ''[[The Saturday Evening Post]]'' published an article about AA, sparking a surge in inquires, and AA membership tripled over the next year.<ref name="SEP">Jack Alexander (1 March 1941). "[https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2015/12/aa/ Alcoholics Anonymous]." ''Saturday Evening Post'', 22 December 2015, Post Perspective.  Retrieved 10 December 2022</ref> AA-related interviews on American radio and favorable articles in US magazines led to increased book sales and membership.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Jack Alexander |date=1 March 1941 |title=Alcoholics Anonymous |url=http://www.aa.org/pdf/products/p-12_theJackAlexArticle1.pdf |url-status=dead |journal=Saturday Evening Post |edition=Reprinted in booklet form |publisher=Alcoholics Anonymous World Services |isbn=978-0-89638-199-5 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202003927/http://www.aa.org/pdf/products/p-12_theJackAlexArticle1.pdf |archive-date=2 December 2008 |access-date=12 December 2009}}</ref>

As the growing fellowship faced disputes over structure, purpose, authority, and publicity, Bill W. began promoting the Twelve Traditions.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=The Beginnings of The Twelve Traditions {{!}} Alcoholics Anonymous |url=https://www.aa.org/the-beginnings-of-the-twelve-traditions |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=www.aa.org}}</ref> He first introduced his ideas on these in an April 1946 article for ''The Grapevine'', titled "Twelve Suggested Points for AA Tradition",<ref name=":3" /> aiming to preserve the organization's unity and purpose as AA expanded. He described the input he received as a "welter of exciting and fearsome experience" which greatly influenced the development of the Traditions.<ref name=":3" /> From December 1947 to November 1948, ''The Grapevine'' published the Traditions individually, and in 1950, the First International Convention in Cleveland officially adopted them.<ref name=":3" />