This happens a lot in historiography. Easy tales become handles for epochs and then denounced as contrived, then revived. Reminds me of the xkcd about levels of rebuttal.

The guy indeed was behind the "Torches of Freedom" campaign. And was indeed an influential person. Would it have happened without him? Most likely. But he did do the things. Is History driven by personalities? By structures? Big debate there. Nonetheless, Bernays' story is not bunk.