On July 25, 2010 the New York Times published “Adding Punch to Influence Public Opinion,” an article profiling the Harmony Institute (HI), and highlighting its inaugural publication, Net Neutrality For The Win. The article introduced HI’s mission to the general public, while offering insight into its unique methodology.
“We’re breaking ground here,” HI Founder and Executive Director John S. Johnson told The Times. While Johnson maintains that it’s clear “persuasion is inseparable from entertainment,” HI is undertaking the real issue of “whether it works,” that is the application of behavioral science in the creation of entertainment.
“If it is conscious and if it has rigor, it’s much more effective,” maintained Johnson.