WSI Public Information (PI) Committee Manual
The PI Committee (pi@foodaddicts.org) serves as a resource for the fellowship to carry the message FA recovery to food addicts who still suffer and to those who want to help them. The PI Committee provides materials, support to Intergroups, Chapters, meetings, and individuals in their PI work. This includes assistance and guidance with the most effective and appropriate means of communication to use for the general public and professional communities through various media. The committee prioritizes clarity, consistency, respect, relationship, and adherence to FA’s Twelve Traditions in its messaging and carries out its work through such subcommittees as those listed below. For more information, see Introduction to Public Information Work.
The PI Tools / Operations Subcommittee supports the development, editing and maintenance of PI materials such as presentations, pamphlets, press releases, letters to professionals and other resources to enable efficient and effective PI work at the individual, group, Intergroup and Chapter level. This subcommittee updates and maintains inward facing and outward facing documents and forms used in PI work, and ensures that they are current and readily accessible on the FA website. This subcommittee has coordinated periodic surveys of the fellowship to obtain data for outreach work. The chair works closely with the PI Chair and other subcommittee chairs to ensure that PI materials facilitate their work. This subcommittee provides updated guidelines for PI representatives and service group members so that the FA message is presented in a clear and coherent way that is informed by FA’s Twelve Traditions, and answers and archives frequently asked PI questions from the fellowship.
The Media Outreach Subcommittee coordinates efforts to increase awareness of FA recovery via print, radio, and television, and evolving media. The team provides guidelines and coaching for outreach and interview opportunities for members, orients media professionals around informational anonymity issues, and archives interviews and articles on the FA website. This committee provides online templates for press release articles and public services announcements and coordinates press releases for FA conventions, Thank-a-thons, and seasonal peaks such as New Years and National Eating Disorders Awareness week (in the US in February). In addition, the Mediawatch team provides a mechanism to respond to relevant stories in the media to educate journalists, health professionals, and researchers about FA.
The Professional Outreach Subcommittee provides information about FA recovery to professionals who are in positions to help suffering food addicts. The subcommittee’s work includes building relationships with health care professionals, faith community leaders, EAP and health insurance programs, educators, and local merchants, as well as developing and providing materials and guidance for presentations (such as the Health Care Brochure, and slide and video material) to assist them in familiarizing their clientele with FA recovery.
The Digital Outreach Subcommittee focuses on using ever-evolving developments in digital technology to raise worldwide awareness of FA recovery. This committee coordinates multiple projects to meet all those who are searching the web for solutions for food addiction. The subcommittee collaborates with the FA Office Director on search engine optimization to guide and welcome prospective members to the FA website. Ongoing projects include posting WSB approved Blogwatch responses, circulating the FA weblink to businesses, community services and colleges, and directing articles to Mediawatch, and managing the Online Calendar Announcement Resource, and participates in FA’s Social Media Policy. The FA Facebook pilot project maintains a simple, unified message for those who might be searching for a solution and is not meant for internal communication within the fellowship.
The Community Accountability Subcommittee consults with other subcommittees about the cultural responsiveness of outreach efforts. This committee invites us to examine how we might be contributing to historical and structural iniquities and to be asking ourselves: Who is not at the table? Why is that? What work do we need to do on ourselves to earn trust in marginalized communities and to form real, culturally responsive relationships across disparities in power?
The chairperson of the PI committee coordinates the work of these subcommittees, brings a public information orientation to the World Service Board, and facilitates bi-monthly PI Committee calls, where committee work is presented and all who are interested in PI work are welcome.
Revised 2023 0225