Twenty-five years ago I founded and headed a large and influential environmental grassroots group in metro New York. One of my biggest challenges was to keep my board of directors and rank-and-file from embellishing, exaggerating and distorting the facts in the heat of battle.  “The facts are on our side,” I would say, “so hyperbole and misstatements will only undermine our credibility with the media and the public.” Sticking to the facts resulted in very favorable media coverage, including a New Jersey daily honoring me on the Sunday front page as “Public Service Volunteer of the Year,” and...