John F. Stossel (born 6 March 1947) is a consumer reporter, author and co-anchor for the ABC News show 20/20.^[1] His reports, a blend of commentary and reporting, reflect his libertarian political philosophy, his views on economics (largely consistent with those of the Chicago school), and his skepticism of conventional wisdom. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Free State Project (FSP) is a plan to have 20,000 or more liberty-oriented people move to a single state of the United States, with the intent of influencing local politics and policy. ... Image:NH Liberty Forum 160x312. ... is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Chicago Heights is a city located in Cook County, Illinois. ... Psychology (from Greek: ψυχή, psukhē, spirit, soul; and λόγος, logos, knowledge) is both an academic and applied discipline involving the scientific study of mental processes and behavior. ... Princeton University is a private coeducational research university located in Princeton, New Jersey. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... Authorship redirects here. ... is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Consumers refers to individuals or households that purchase and use goods and services generated within the economy. ... A Female Reporter A reporter is a type of journalist who researches and presents information in certain types of mass media. ... Authorship redirects here. ... “Anchorman” redirects here. ... ABC News Special Report ident, circa 2006 ABC News is a division of American television and radio network ABC, owned by The Walt Disney Company. ... This article is about the television show. ... See also Libertarianism and Libertarian Party Libertarian,is a term for person who has made a conscious and principled commitment, evidenced by a statement or Pledge, to forswear violating others rights and usually living in voluntary communities: thus in law no longer subject to government supervision. ... Face-to-face trading interactions on the New York Stock Exchange trading floor. ... The Chicago School of Economics is a school of thought in economics; it refers to the style of economics practiced at and disseminated from the University of Chicago after 1946. ... Conventional wisdom is a term coined by the economist John Kenneth Galbraith, used to describe certain ideas or explanations that are generally accepted as true by the public. ...

In his decades as a reporter, Stossel has received 19 Emmy Awards and numerous other honors for his reports, as well as attracted criticism for his political views. An Emmy Award. ...

Work

Early career

Stossel graduated from Princeton University with a BA in Psychology in 1969 and was a member of Princeton Tower Club while there. He began his journalism career as a researcher for KGW-TV in Portland, Oregon. He later became a consumer reporter at WCBS-TV in New York City before joining ABC News as consumer editor and reporter on Good Morning America. Princeton University is a private coeducational research university located in Princeton, New Jersey. ... A B.A. issused as a certificate Bachelor of Arts (B.A., BA or A.B.), from the Latin Artium Baccalaureus is an undergraduate bachelors degree awarded for either a course or a program in the liberal arts or the sciences, or both. ... Also: 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... Princeton Tower Club is one of the ten eating clubs at Princeton University, and one of only five clubs (along with The Ivy Club, University Cottage Club, Cap and Gown Club, and the Tiger Inn) to choose its members through a selective process called bicker. ... KGW-TV, Northwest Newschannel 8 is an NBC affiliate serving the Portland, Oregon area. ... Nickname: Location in Multnomah County and the state of Oregon Coordinates: , Country United States State Oregon County Multnomah County Incorporated February 8, 1851 Government  - Mayor Tom Potter Area  - City 376. ... WCBS-TV, channel 2, is the flagship station of the CBS television network, located in New York City. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... ABC News Special Report ident, circa 2006 ABC News is a division of American television and radio network ABC, owned by The Walt Disney Company. ... Good Morning America is a weekday morning news show that is broadcast on the ABC television network. ...

20/20

Stossel later became an ABC News correspondent, joining the weekly news magazine program 20/20 in 1981. He became its co-anchor in May 2003. A reporter is a type of journalist who researches and presents information in certain types of mass media. ... This article is about the television show. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In 20/20's "Give Me a Break" segments, Stossel takes a skeptical look at subjects ranging from government regulations and pop culture to censorship and unfounded fear. "Give Me a Break" was so popular that in 1994 it was spun off into a series of one-hour specials. Topics of these specials include: Skepticism (Commonwealth spelling: Scepticism) can mean: Philosophical skepticism - a philosophical position in which people choose to critically examine whether the knowledge and perceptions that they have are actually true, and whether or not one can ever be said to have absolutely true knowledge; or Scientific skepticism - a scientific, or practical... Government regulation involves the use of the law, mandated by the state, to produce outcomes which might not otherwise occur, prevent outcomes which might otherwise occur, produce or prevent outcomes in different places to what might otherwise occur, or produce or prevent outcomes in different timescales than would otherwise occur. ... Popular culture, or pop culture, is the vernacular (peoples) culture that prevails in a modern society. ... It has been suggested that Suppression of dissent be merged into this article or section. ... Fear is an emotional response to impending danger, that is tied to anxiety. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar). ... A spin-off in television is a new series which contains either characters or theme elements from an old series. ...

• "Stupid in America"
• "Are We Scaring Ourselves to Death?"
• "Junk Science: What You Know That May Not Be So"
• "Boys and Girls Are Different"
• "Freeloaders"
• "Greed"
• "Is America #1?"
• "You Can't Say That!"
• "Stossel Goes to Washington"
• "The Power of Belief"

Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ...

Schults interview

On December 28, 1984, while filming a segment on professional wrestling, Stossel told wrestler David Schults that he thought wrestling was fake. Yelling "You think this is fake?", Schults assaulted Stossel, slapping him and knocking him to the ground twice. Stossel sued, claiming long-term hearing loss, and won a settlement. Schults maintains that he attacked Stossel because Vince McMahon, the head of the WWF, wanted him to.^[2] is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Ancient Greek wrestlers (Pankratiasts) Wrestling is the act of physical engagement between two unarmed persons, in which each wrestler strives to get an advantage over or control of his opponent. ... David Schults is a retired professional wrestler who billed himself as Dr. D. He gained his biggest notoriety in 1984 after assaulting 20/20 reporter John Stossel. ... Vincent Kennedy McMahon (born August 25, 1945) is an American wrestling promoter, occasional professional wrestler, on-screen personality, former play-by-play announcer, and film producer. ... World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. ...

Books and educational materials

Stossel has written two books, the first being Give Me a Break: How I Exposed Hucksters, Cheats, and Scam Artists and Became the Scourge of the Liberal Media (ISBN 0-06-052914-8). This autobiography outlines Stossel's career, documenting his philosophical transition from a liberal political stance toward libertarianism. It summarizes his opinions concerning the disasters of excessive regulation and government control, and his strong belief in the power of the free market and private enterprise. In its conclusion he calls for a reform of lawsuits, decreased regulation, and shifting social services away from the government and encouraging private charity. See also Libertarianism and Libertarian Party Libertarian,is a term for person who has made a conscious and principled commitment, evidenced by a statement or Pledge, to forswear violating others rights and usually living in voluntary communities: thus in law no longer subject to government supervision. ... Tort reform is the phrase used by its advocates who claim it is a change in the legal system to reduce litigations alleged adverse effects on the economy. ...

His second book, published by Hyperion in May 2006, is entitled Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity: Get Out the Shovel—Why Everything You Know Is Wrong (ISBN 1-4013-0254-8). In this book, Stossel questions the validity of various conventional wisdoms, including the myth that he is a conservative. Hyperion is a general-interest book publishing division of The Walt Disney Company, established in 1991. ... Conventional wisdom is a term coined by the economist John Kenneth Galbraith, used to describe certain ideas or explanations that are generally accepted as true by the public. ...

With financial support from the libertarian Palmer R. Chitester Fund, Stossel and ABC News launched a series of educational materials for public schools in 1999 titled "Stossel in the Classroom".^[3]

In September 2006, ABC News and John Stossel released a DVD series titled "Teaching Tools for Economics" based on the National Council of Economics Education standards.^[4]

Philosophical influences

Libertarianism

John Stossel is one of the few libertarians in mainstream media. As a libertarian, Stossel believes in both personal freedom and the free market. He frequently uses his television airtime to advance these views, and boldly challenges viewers' distrust of free market capitalism and economic competition. See Libertarianism // Bob Allen, Florida State Representative Rona Ambrose, Canadian politician Patricia Anderson, former Minnesota State Auditor John Andrews, former Colorado State Senator Paul Atkins, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Director Clay Aurand, Kansas State Representative Michael Badnarik, Libertarian Party candidate for President (2004) Al Baldasaro, New Hampshire State... See also Libertarianism and Libertarian Party Libertarian,is a term for person who has made a conscious and principled commitment, evidenced by a statement or Pledge, to forswear violating others rights and usually living in voluntary communities: thus in law no longer subject to government supervision. ... Individual rights represent the moral rights of individuals in society prior to government. ... A free market is an idealized market, where all economic decisions and actions by individuals regarding transfer of money, goods, and services are voluntary, and are therefore devoid of coercion and theft (some definitions of coercion are inclusive of theft). Colloquially and loosely, a free market economy is an economy... Capitalism generally refers to an economic system in which the means of production are all or mostly privately[1][2] owned and operated for profit, and in which investments, distribution, income, production and pricing of goods and services are determined through the operation of a free market. ... Competition is the act of striving against another force for the purpose of achieving dominance or attaining a reward or goal, or out of a biological imperative such as survival. ...

Stossel's views have often been controversial. He has argued that greed is good, because it provides people with an incentive to work and to innovate.^[5] He has promoted school choice as a way to improve American schools, because he believes that when people are given a choice they will choose the better schools for their children.^[6] This, he feels, will force the worst schools to improve or shut down. Referring to international tests, which consistently show American students doing poorly compared to those in other countries, he says: This article does not cite any references or sources. ... School choice, sometimes called public choice, describes any one of several forms of publicly-funded alternative education program that allows students to choose to attend any of various participating private and public schools, usually based on a system of vouchers, tax credits, or scholarships. ...

The people who run the international tests told us, "the biggest predictor of student success is choice." Nations that "attach the money to the kids" and thereby allow parents to choose between different public and private schools have higher test scores. This should be no surprise; competition makes us better.^[7]

Over the years he has also criticized many government programs as inefficient, wasteful, and sometimes harmful.^[8]

Skepticism

Many of John Stossel's news reports and writings come from his skepticism of conventional wisdom. His Myths and Lies series of 20/20 specials challenges a wide range of deeply-held beliefs. He also hosted The Power of Belief (October 6, 1998) an ABC News Special which focused on paranormal claims and people's desire to believe. This article is about the television show. ... The Power of Belief was a ABC News Special aired on October 6, 1998 hosted by John Stossel. ...

Stossel agrees with Steven Milloy that "43 years of eco-hysteria over DDT" has cost the lives of millions,^[9] and as a global warming skeptic he has gained many opponents. Although he agrees that global warming exists,^[10] he says that the science is not yet settled regarding whether the warming is caused by humans. He argues that the World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace, Rachel Carson, the Environmental Defense Fund, the Natural Resources Defense Council and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore have done a disservice by engaging in environmental scaremongering.^[11] Steven Milloy is a columnist for Fox News and a paid advocate for Phillip Morris, ExxonMobil and other corporations. ... Global warming skeptics are those who have reservations or even outright objections to one or more of the main tenets of the global warming theory. ... Note: After losing a court case in 2002 on the use of the initials WWF, the organization previously known as the World Wrestling Federation has rebranded itself as World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE. WWF - The Conservation Organization was formerly known as World Wildlife Fund and Worldwide Fund for Nature. ... Greenpeace protest against Esso / Exxon Mobil. ... Rachel Louise Carson (May 27, 1907 — April 14, 1964) was an American marine biologist and nature writer whose landmark book, Silent Spring, is often credited with having launched the global environmental movement. ... Environmental Defense (formerly known as the Environmental Defense Fund or EDF), is a US-based nonprofit environmental advocacy group. ... The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) [1] is a leftist, New York City-based, non-profit, non-partisan environmental advocacy group, with offices in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and Los Angeles. ... Albert Arnold Gore, Jr. ...

Praise and criticism

Awards

Stossel has won many awards, including 19 Emmy Awards. In one year, according to Stossel in his book Give Me A Break, "I got so many Emmys, another winner thanked me in his acceptance speech 'for not having an entry in this category'." Stossel has been honored five times for excellence in consumer reporting by the National Press Club, and has received the George Polk Award for Outstanding Local Reporting and the Peabody Award. However, since his economic views have swung towards libertarianism, the stream of awards has dried up. All of his Emmy wins antedate his groundbreaking special, Are We Scaring Ourselves to Death?^[12] An Emmy Award. ... The National Press Club is an association of journalists based in Washington, DC. It is well-known for its gatherings with invited speakers, including many presidential candidates and other influential politicians. ... The George Polk Awards is an American journalism award. ... The George Foster Peabody Awards, more commonly known as simply the Peabody Awards, are annual awards given for excellence in radio and television broadcasting and cable television within the United States. ...

Praise

Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman once described John Stossel by saying, "Stossel is that rare creature, a TV commentator who understands economics, in all its subtlety."^[13] An article published by the libertarian group Advocates for Self Government notes praise for Stossel.^[14] Anthony Gregor, writing on LewRockwell.com, described Stossel as a "heroic rogue... a media maverick and proponent of freedom in an otherwise statist, conformist mass media."^[15] The Republican Liberty Caucus mentions his "concise libertarian messages"^[16] and investment analyst Mark Skousen said Stossel is "a true libertarian hero."^[17] The Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel (in Swedish Sveriges Riksbanks pris i ekonomisk vetenskap till Alfred Nobels minne), is a prize awarded each year for outstanding intellectual contributions in the field of economics. ... Milton Friedman (July 31, 1912 – November 16, 2006) was an American Nobel Laureate economist and public intellectual. ... The Advocates for Self-Government is a non-profit, non-partisan libertarian educational organization. ... Header image from LewRockwell. ... The logo for the Republican Liberty Caucus // The Republican Liberty Caucus is a political action organization dedicated to promoting the ideals of individual rights, limited government and free enterprise within the Republican Party by: A. Promoting these ideals among Party officials and its various organizations; B. Identifying and supporting candidates... Mark Skousen Mark Skousen is an American economist, investment analyst, newsletter editor, college professor and author of more than 20 non-fiction books. ...

Criticism

Progressive organizations Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR) and Media Matters for America have criticized Stossel and several of his reports for a variety of reasons. Some criticism centers on political disagreement, while others involve allegations that Stossel has distorted facts, omitted pertinent information, or selected interview subjects designed to support his point of view despite conflicts of interest.^[18][19][20] In the United States the term progressivism refers to two political movements: first, the original political progressive movement towards social and economic reform of the late 1800s and early 1900s; and second, the continuation of this movement/ideology in the form of modern progressivism which sees itself as a reform... Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR), is a media criticism organization based in New York, New York, founded in 1986. ... Screenshot from Media Matters for America (Jan 6, 2006) Media Matters for America (or MMfA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2004 by self-described liberal (formerly conservative) journalist and author David Brock; it is an organization that hosts a website featuring watchdog journalism. ...

Pesticides and organic food

On the 20/20 report "The Food You Eat" on 4 February 2000, Stossel said that ABC News had tested samples of organic and non-organic produce and found neither had any pesticide residue.^[21] The Environmental Working Group (EWG) discovered that the researchers hired by ABC News had tested chicken for pesticides and had tested the produce for bacteria, but they had not tested the produce for pesticides. Despite correspondence with EWG, a July 7 rebroadcast of the program did not include a correction, ^[22] and it included new commentary where Stossel reiterated the error.^[21] On 31 July 2000, the New York Times picked up EWG's story,^[22] and ABC suspended 20/20 producer David Fitzpatrick for one month and reprimanded Stossel. According to an internal memo, the sanctions were less for the mistake, but rather "for the arrogance of ignoring complaint letters that followed".^[23][24] On August 11, Stossel apologized for the error and for repeating the error. "The labs we used never tested the produce for pesticides," he said. "We thought they had, but they hadn’t. We misunderstood, and that was our fault." ^[25] is the 35th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... The Environmental Working Group is a public watchdog group specializing in environmental investigations in the areas of toxins, agricultural subsidies, public lands, and corporate accountability. ... is the 212th day of the year (213th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ...

Global Warming

In June 2001, Stossel presented a one-hour special titled "Tampering with Nature" in which he said, "You may have heard that 1,600 scientists signed a letter warning of 'devastating consequences.' But I bet you hadn't heard that 17,000 scientists signed a petition saying that there's 'no convincing evidence' that greenhouse gases will disrupt the Earth's climate." FAIR criticized Stossel for comparing a petition "circulated by a group well-respected in the scientific community" with one "famously discredited". They argued that while the one circulated by the advocacy group Union of Concerned Scientists was signed by 104 of the 178 living Nobel Prize winners in the sciences and 60 U.S. National Medal of Science winners, the petition with the larger number of signatures (the Oregon Petition) did not verify the identity of all its signatories.^[26][27] An advocacy group, interest group or lobbying group is a group, however loosely or tightly organized, doing advocacy: those determined to encourage or prevent changes in public policy without trying to be elected. ... The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) is an advocacy organization based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. ... The Oregon Petition is the name commonly given to a petition opposed to the Kyoto protocol, organised by the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine (OISM) between 1999 and 2001, shortly before the United States was expected to ratify the protocol. ...

Education

In January 2006, Stossel presented a 20/20 special titled "Stupid in America: How We Cheat Our Kids," in which he argued that the public school system is ineffective in teaching students and that the U.S. should instead move to a voucher system.^[28] Stossel presented charter schools that were doing well and claimed that charter schools are generally better than public schools. The progressive media watchdog group Media Matters for America contends^[29] that Stossel ignored research by the Department of Education which shows that public schools are actually outperforming charter schools on standardized tests^[30] and that Stossel interviewed eight advocates of school choice but only two opponents. In response, Stossel points out that students in America still lag behind those in less developed countries that spend less money on education, and that this gap widens by 12th grade. He further notes that the Department of Education study, which was adjusted for demographics, itself admits that "to ascertain the difference between the two types of schools, an experiment would be conducted in which students are assigned [randomly] to either public or private schools".^[31] Screenshot from Media Matters for America (Jan 6, 2006) Media Matters for America (or MMfA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2004 by self-described liberal (formerly conservative) journalist and author David Brock; it is an organization that hosts a website featuring watchdog journalism. ...

Televangelism

On March 23, 2007, Stossel hosted a one-hour 20/20 special titled "Enough!", a segment of which investigated the extravagant finances and lifestyles of certain televangelists. The segment opened with a clip of TV preacher Frederick Price seemingly boasting about his wealth by informing his congregation that he lived in a "25-room mansion, I have my own $6 million yacht, I have my own private jet and I have my own helicopter and I have seven luxury automobiles.” Following the report, Price said that his statement was about a hypothetical person who has great wealth but lives a spiritually unfulfilled life and sued ABC for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. ABC News has twice aired apologies for the misleading clip. ^[32][33] is the 82nd day of the year (83rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... In the USA, a televangelist (television evangelist) is a religious minister (often a Christian priest or minister) who devotes a large portion of his (or her) ministry to TV broadcasts to a regular viewing and listening audience. ... ABC News Special Report ident, circa 2006 ABC News is a division of American television and radio network ABC, owned by The Walt Disney Company. ...

Other criticism

Unlike most other ABC News reporters, John Stossel's contract allows him to make public speaking engagements with the proviso that he not profit from them. Stossel donates the proceeds from these engagements to several charities, including the Palmer R. Chitester Fund, which produces "Stossel in the Classroom". Critics argue that a percentage of the sales of "Stossel in the Classroom" go to ABC and see a conflict of interest in this arrangement.^{[34][35][36][37]}

Notes

ABC News Special Report ident, circa 2006 ABC News is a division of American television and radio network ABC, owned by The Walt Disney Company. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 103rd day of the year (104th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 191st day of the year (192nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 248th day of the year (249th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Biographies of, and articles about, Stossel

• ABC News Biography
• "Laissez-Faire TV", An article about John Stossel from Brill's Content.
• "Stossel's evolution from activist to contrarian angers some of his fans", USA Today
• "John Stossel: Myth-Buster", FrontPageMag.com
• "John Stossel: Not Afraid to Tell the Truth", NewsMax.com
• "John Stossel - Libertarian", TheAdvocates.org

At least two well-known people have been named Steven Brill: Steven Brill is the founder of American Lawyer magazine, Court TV, Contentville, and Brills Content. ...

Articles by Stossel

• John Stossel's 20/20 Web Page
• John Stossel's Newspaper Columns
• "Confessions of a Welfare Queen: How rich bastards like me rip off taxpayers for millions of dollars" is an excerpt from his first book.

Stossel Supporters and Critics

• [3] supportjohnstossel.org
• John Stossel profiled by Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting
• John Stossel profiled by Media Matters for America