Key Facts
Career & Education
About
John Frank Stossel, born on March 6, 1947, in Chicago, Illinois, is a libertarian journalist who grew up in New Jersey, attending Nutley High School. He graduated from Princeton University in 1969 with a B.A. in psychology, where he was a member of the Princeton Tower Club. Overcoming a significant stuttering problem in his youth—which he has since advocated for through support of the Stuttering Foundation of America—Stossel launched his journalism career as a researcher at KGW-TV in Portland, Oregon, followed by consumer reporting at WCBS-TV in New York City. Joining ABC News, he served as consumer editor and reporter on Good Morning America, then as a correspondent for the investigative program 20/20, earning multiple Emmy Awards for his consumer advocacy segments that initially focused on scams and consumer protection. Over time, his reporting evolved to critique government intervention, aligning with libertarian views. In 2003, he was named co-anchor of 20/20. After departing ABC in 2009, he hosted 'Stossel's Wonder' and other programs on Fox Business Network until 2016, and later produced content for Reason TV, authoring books like 'Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity' (2005) and 'No, They Can't!' (2012). He is a former host at ABC and Fox News.