Stossel to speak at anti-health care reform rallies

Brian Stelter of the New York Times reports Wednesday that broadcast journalist John Stossel, recently hired by Fox Business Network, is making speaking appearances at events aimed at rallying opposition to the Obama administration’s health care reform proposal.

Stelter writes, “In between the Arkansas forums on Thursday, the group will hold a telephone conference call with Mr. Stossel. On the conference call, Mr. Stossel is expected to update organizers on the ‘health care takeover’ and ‘tell us more about his new role at Fox News,’ according to the group’s Web site.

“Greg Sargent, a blogger for the Web site whorunsgov.com, a Wahington Post Company Web site, wrote last week that Mr. Stossel would be effectively working ‘as a political activist’ by attending the forums, and said it ‘doesn’t seem like great timing’ given Fox’s feud with the White House.

“Mark Feldstein, an associate professor of journalism at the George Washington University, said the relationship between Mr. Stossel and a partisan group was ‘pretty shameful’ by traditional journalistic standards. ‘But I guess we’re no longer in an age of tradition,’ he said.”

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