Stossel defends appearances at anti-health care reform rallies

Fox Business Network‘s John Stossel defended his appearances at rallies in Arkansas against the Obama administration’s proposed reform of the country’s health care system, writes Andrew DeMillo of the Associated Press.

DeMillo writes, “Stossel said he made three speeches for the group in August, when he still worked for ABC. Stossel said he’s on Fox as a commentator, not a straight news reporter.

“When Stossel joined Fox, the network said he would host a weekly program on Fox Business that would feature ‘in-depth reports on domestic and international libertarian issues,’ as well as make regular appearance on the Fox News Channel and host a series of one-hour specials for the network.

‘If John Stossel’s role as a journalist includes traditional straight reporting, then it’s reasonable to question whether he can do that reporting with any degree of independence or credibility,’ said Bob Steele, a DePauw University journalism professor and scholar for journalism values at the Poynter Institute.

“Stossel said his comments at the forums aren’t different from his criticism of businesses when he was a consumer affairs reporter.”

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