The man behind countless food scares, including the 1989 Alar-on-apples campaign, has finally shared the secrets to his checkered success. On Monday David Fenton, the slick spinmeister behind Fenton Communications, released “Now Hear This,” a 32-page piece aimed at the “progressive” nonprofit community. Promoting Fenton’s “nine laws of successful advocacy communications,” the glossy book is an attempt to guide self-righteous NGOs (especially environmental groups) toward greater effectiveness in the public eye.
The booklet was produced with a grant from the Packard Foundation, whose millions have also gone to support numerous nanny groups in recent years (e.g. SeaWeb, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Fenton’s own Environmental Media Services).
