John Stossel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Stossel
|
|
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg)
Stossel in 2025
|
|
| Born |
John Frank Stossel
March 6, 1947 |
| Education | Princeton University (BA) |
| Occupation | Libertarian pundit, author, columnist, reporter, TV presenter |
| Years active | 1969–present |
|
Notable credit(s)
|
|
| Political party | Libertarian |
| Spouse(s) | Ellen Abrams |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives |
|
John Frank Stossel (born March 6, 1947) is an American television presenter, author, and journalist. He is known for his work at ABC News, Fox Business Network, and Reason TV. Stossel often shares his views on economics and politics, supporting ideas like the free market.
He started his journalism career as a researcher. Later, he became a consumer reporter at WCBS-TV in New York City. Stossel then joined ABC News, working on shows like Good Morning America and 20/20. He became a co-anchor for 20/20. In 2009, Stossel moved to the Fox Business Network. There, he hosted his own weekly show called Stossel until 2016. Since 2019, he has run StosselTV, an online channel.
Stossel has won many awards for his work, including 19 Emmy Awards. He has also written three books. These books include Give Me a Break (2004) and No, They Can't: Why Government Fails – But Individuals Succeed (2012).
Contents
Early Life and Education
John F. Stossel was born on March 6, 1947, in Chicago Heights, Illinois. He was the younger of two sons. His parents were from Germany and moved to the U.S. before Hitler came to power. John grew up in Chicago and went to New Trier High School.
He described himself as an "indifferent student" in college. He studied at Princeton University. After graduating, he thought about going to graduate school. However, he decided to get a job first. He believed that working would help him focus better on future studies.
Journalism Career
Starting Out in News
Stossel began his career at KGW-TV in Portland, Oregon. He started as a newsroom assistant. He then worked his way up to researcher and writer. Eventually, he was asked to read his own reports on air. Stossel had stuttered since he was a child. He worked hard to improve his speaking skills.
After a few years, he was hired by WCBS-TV in New York City. Stossel felt that the quality of journalism was lower there. He also felt frustrated by rules that limited creativity. He learned that focusing on slower, bigger changes, like the women's movement, was more important than daily news events.
20/20 and Consumer Reporting
In 1981, Stossel joined ABC News. He became a correspondent for 20/20. He also worked as a consumer reporter for Good Morning America. His "Give Me a Break" segments on 20/20 looked at topics from a different angle. These topics included government regulations and pop culture.
While working on 20/20, Stossel discovered Reason magazine. Its ideas about individual freedom appealed to him. He later said that some government rules he had supported earlier did not work well. In May 2003, Stossel became a co-anchor of 20/20. He also wrote his first book, Give Me a Break, which was published in 2004. This book shared his journey in journalism and his changing views.
Moving to Fox News
.jpg)
In September 2009, Stossel announced he was leaving ABC News. He joined News Corp.'s Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network. He hosted a weekly show called Stossel on Fox Business Network. The show started in December 2009.
The program focused on topics like individual freedom, free market capitalism, and smaller government. It discussed subjects such as civil liberties and free trade. The final episode of Stossel aired in December 2016. Stossel explained that he wanted to help new journalists. He continued to appear on Fox programs and create content for Reason TV.
Stossel TV Online
In 2019, Stossel started Stossel TV. This is an online channel that shares weekly videos. These videos are distributed through social media platforms.
Books and Educational Work
Stossel has written three books. His first book, Give Me a Break (2005), is about his career. It also explains his shift in thinking towards individual freedom. This book became a New York Times bestseller. His second book, Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity (2007), questions common beliefs.
His third book, No, They Can't: Why Government Fails – But Individuals Succeed (2012), argues that government policies often create new problems. It suggests that individuals and private businesses can do things more effectively than the government.
Stossel also helped create educational materials for schools. In 1999, he launched "Stossel in the Classroom" with ABC News. This program provides teaching materials for public schools. He also released Teaching Tools for Economics in 2006. Since 2011, Stossel has written a weekly newspaper column. His articles appear in various online publications.
Views and Beliefs
Stossel often tries to correct common misunderstandings in his journalism. His Myths and Lies series on 20/20 challenged many widely held ideas. He also hosted a special called The Power of Belief, which looked at claims of the paranormal.
Supporting Individual Freedom
Stossel believes in both personal freedom and the free market. He often uses his television time to promote these ideas. He encourages viewers to trust free-market capitalism and economic competition. In 2008, he received an honorary doctorate from Francisco Marroquin University in Guatemala.
Stossel argues that people working for their own benefit can lead to harder work and new ideas. He believes this helps everyone, including those who are less wealthy. He supports school choice as a way to improve schools.
He has criticized government programs for being inefficient. He also believes that some parts of the American legal system encourage unnecessary lawsuits. Stossel supports the idea that the losing side in a lawsuit should pay the winner's legal fees. This is called the English rule.
Stossel is against the minimum wage and government spending on certain programs. He also opposes some laws, like those requiring seat belts. He believes in gun rights and supports lower, simpler taxes. He has suggested ideas like a flat tax or replacing the income tax with the FairTax.
Stossel believes a country needs police and a strong national defense. He acknowledges that some countries have large social programs. However, he notes they often have strong private markets to pay for them.
In 2010, Stossel criticized rules about unpaid interns. He said he had built his career with unpaid interns. He felt they learned a lot from the experience. Stossel is also a faculty member at the Charles Koch Institute. He has supported the idea of getting rid of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Stossel has moderated debates for the Libertarian presidential candidates. He moderated the first nationally televised debate in 2016. He also moderated a debate in 2020.
Views on Science Topics
In 2001, some groups criticized Stossel's report on global warming. They said it focused too much on a few scientists who disagreed with the main view.
In 2014, Stossel stated that there was "no good data showing secondhand smoke kills people." However, fact-checking websites like Politifact rated this statement as "False." They pointed to a lot of scientific research showing that secondhand smoke does cause deaths.
Personal Life
Stossel lives in New York City with his wife, Ellen Abrams. They have two children, Lauren and Max. They also have a home in Massachusetts.
Stossel's wife is Jewish, and he came to embrace his family's Ashkenazi Jewish heritage after they married. They raised their children Jewish. Stossel has said he is an agnostic, meaning he is open to the idea of God but does not believe in one.
His brother, Thomas P. Stossel, was a professor at Harvard Medical School. His nephew, Scott Stossel, is a journalist.
On April 20, 2016, Stossel announced he had lung cancer. He said it was found early, and he had surgery to remove part of one lung.
See also
- List of newspaper columnists
