Who

Mustachioed know-it-all Stossel has been with ABC's 20/20 for more than a quarter-century.

Backstory

Chicago native Stossel graduated Princeton and started his journalism career as a researcher for KGW-TV in Portland, Oregon. After moving to New York, he worked as a consumer reporter at WCBS and WABC before joining the 20/20 crew in 1981. He soon earned fame for his signature catchphrase ("Gimme a break!") and skeptical approach to, well, just about everything. With his star rising—and after Rupert Murdoch's Fox News tried to poach him—in 1994 Stossel landed a new contract that combined his continued work on 20/20 with several one-hour specials. He moved up to the co-anchor spot in 2003, following the departure of co-anchor John Miller. Stossel and his trademark moustache can now be seen on Friday nights alongside Elizabeth Vargas.

Of note

A gung-ho libertarian, Stossel has excoriated environmentalists for sounding the alarm over global warming; advocated shutting down the Food and Drug Administration; argued that seat belts in school buses are a waste of money; said that subsidies for American farms should be eliminated; called for the elimination of the Environmental Protection Agency; and claimed that oft-televised news stories about child abductions and hurricanes are simply scare tactics and don't really represent issues Americans should concern themselves with.

Such diehard libertarian values have made Stossel a hero to some—people who, like him, are convinced the government is looking to stick its fingers in every bit of your business—but they've also made him one of ABC's most controversial hosts, particularly since he often seems to rely on misleading and erroneous information to support his claims. Still, he remains one of the network's most consistently popular news figures. According to surveys, "middle-aged, middle-class, mid-American women" find him to be "attractive," "honest" and "open." Suffice it to say many others find him "pompous" and "intolerable."

Drama

Accuracy isn't one of Stossel's strong suits. He's admitted to making a number of serious mistakes in the past, he's been sued in connection with his reporting, and the "research" he's used to prop up his arguments has been routinely debunked by leading academics. In 2000, for example, Stossel declared that organic produce was worse for you than conventional fruits and vegetables; it turned out his report had been based on faulty research and he was forced to issue a public apology. When he argued that global warming was a myth, no less than 104 Nobel Prize winners took him to task. (For his part, Stossel said he was relying on another group of "unnamed" scientists.) More recently, he had to issue a correction and an apology to the evangelical pastor of an African-American church after he distorted his words.

But apparently, as long as his ratings remain high, ABC News isn't too worried. Nor do they seem too concerned about the hundreds of thousands a year he collects in speaking fees, often addressing various industry groups and trade associations that he also reports on for 20/20. While ABC News employees are normally prohibited from giving such speeches, they made an exception for Stossel as long as he promised to give the proceeds to charity.

In print

Stossel's 2004 book was the aptly titled Give Me a Break: How I Exposed Hucksters, Cheats, and Scam Artists and Became the Scourge of the Liberal Media. He took on media "untruths" once again in the 2006 tome Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity.

True story

While interviewing WWF wrestler Dr. D in 1985, Stossel demanded that the athlete admit wrestling was fake. "You think it's fake?" D asked as he proceeded to punch Stossel in his ears. "I'll fake you." Following the incident, Stossel claimed he'd suffered long-term hearing loss and sued, winning a reported $400,000 from the WWF in a settlement. (Stossel's clearly only against excessive litigation when he's not one of the parties involved.) D tried to make nice with Stossel in 2006, inviting him to a Wrestling Hall of Fame dinner; Stossel declined, explaining that his fee for attending such events is $20,000 a pop. In fact, it's higher: He usually charges $50,000 for a one-hour speech.

Personal

Stossel and his wife Ellen live in the Beresford on the Upper West Side; their neighbors include Jerry Seinfeld, John McEnroe, and Citigroup CEO Vikram Pandit. They have two kids, Max and Lauren.

No joke

In 2002, The Smoking Gun got their hands on a memo Stossel distributed to his 20/20 colleagues on his "work habits." The memo emphasizes that Stossel loathes wasting time ("Travel itself is a time-eater") and makes the bold proclamation, "My life is often scheduled to the minute. I will almost always be on time."