Dear Friend,

Thank you again for your support in 2024.  

Good news: A real libertarian has been elected President! In Argentina, that is. But what’s wonderful is that his libertarian policies have worked so well that even leftist media acknowledge it. Milei closed government departments, ended rent controls, fired thousands of government workers, and cut government spending by 30%. The result after one year: inflation is down, Argentina has a budget surplus, and Milei is more popular than ever. So are we with him! A few days ago, the Argentinian president reposted our video and started following us.

Will Donald Trump notice his success? His deregulator-in-chief, Elon Musk, did, saying Milei’s "making all the right moves.” Musk has also noticed our videos, often reposting them, helping to increase the reach of Stossel TV and libertarian ideas by several million views.

In 2025, we remain focused on cultivating the next generation of liberty-minded talent. If you know a strong candidate, encourage them to apply at johnstossel.com/fellow. Meanwhile, we’ll keep producing weekly videos as we approach an exciting milestone—our 1 billionth view. I hope you’ll continue to partner with us!

Onward in liberty,
John Stossel

From John Stossel

From CIT’s President

Dear CIT Supporters,

Twenty-five years ago, John’s ABC videos started making their way into America’s classrooms through In the Classroom Media, the precursor to Stossel in the Classroom (SITC).  In those days, John’s ABC specials were provided on VHS to any teacher who asked for them.  Since then, hundreds of thousands of teachers have signed up with SITC, and millions of students have watched John’s videos. 

When John headed from ABC to Fox Business 15 years ago, far more educational videos became available to share with educators.  When John left Fox Business 8 years ago to reach a younger audience on social media, he created Stossel TV.  Those videos, which will soon hit a billion views, added even more options to SITC’s library. 

From VHS to DVDs to streaming videos, Stossel in the Classroom now has hundreds of videos available “at the click of a button” and those videos have well over a hundred thousand streams a year.

As many of you know—because you generously donate the funds that make this work so well—there’s so much more.  Essay and video contests, the popular Both Sides video pairings, comprehensive curriculum, and even webinars hosted by John for teachers and donors, SITC has become a valuable educational tool. 

America’s teachers have used John’s videos to help change the hearts and minds of millions.  How am I so sure?  Because in 1999, I was one of those teachers.  I saw first-hand how John’s videos influenced students.  You don’t have to take my word for it, you can hear from the students themselves.   

I’m forever grateful for the materials SITC produced that made me a better, more influential teacher, and for those of you who helped fund John’s work back then and those of you who continue to fund his work today.

Best wishes for a happy, healthy, and productive 2025, as we celebrate 25 years in the classroom!
Rob Schimenz

OUR MISSION

Center for Independent Thought seeks to expand awareness of individual liberty, free markets, and peace. Toward that goal, CIT works with teachers, scholars, and free-market organizations to develop critical thinking and bring the ideas of liberty to people around the globe.

2024 Highlights

Stossel TV: 2024 in Review

John Stossel is one of the most prominent voices in libertarianism today. Stossel TV produces weekly videos that examine the intended and unintended consequences of government regulation and spending, and promote liberty and free enterprise. With an audience of 4.3 million followers across social media channels, John’s videos educate viewers on the importance and principles of liberty, while amplifying the work of key leaders and organizations in the movement. By shining a spotlight on these individuals and organizations, John not only raises awareness but also helps to drive meaningful conversations that can lead to real policy change.

In 2024, John’s impact reached new heights when Elon Musk reposted and engaged with John’s videos throughout the year. That engagement exposed millions more to libertarian ideas such as free markets, personal responsibility, and limited government.

Musk’s support is particularly valuable for the liberty movement because it brings these principles into mainstream conversations, broadens their appeal to diverse audiences, and potentially influences leaders and policymakers to consider liberty-oriented solutions to today’s challenges.

Video Highlights

Stossel in the Classroom: 2024 in Review

Stossel in the Classroom videos and curriculum have inspired millions of students to expand their understanding of economics, civics, free markets, liberty, and life. SITC aims to make it easy for teachers and homeschoolers to include a fresh perspective in their lesson plans.

Annual Student Contests

SITC conducts an annual essay contests for middle school and high school students, and an annual video contest for middle school, high school, and college students.  Last year’s topics led to 4,194 engaging submissions. In June, SITC awarded $25,000 in prize money to 67 students.

SITC hosted or had a presence at a variety of student and educator events in 2024, including:

  • hosting a Stossel Town Hall to help educators foster civil discourse in their classrooms.

  • participating in a Free to Choose Network colloquium for Florida International University and Universidad Francisco Marroquín students at Capitaf, Milton Friedman’s summer home.

  • exhibiting a homeschool debate speech and debate National Invitational Tournament of Champions.

  • presenting a critical thinking workshop for homeschool parents.

  • exhibiting at the 104th Annual Conference of the National Council for the Social Studies in Boston, MA, which had over 4,500 attendees.

  • appearing on a Scholarship GPS Podcast to share our contest opportunities for students.

SITC reaches over 121,000 educators and provides over 360 videos and accompanying lesson plans. New educational content is released each month.

Notes of appreciation for our Stossel programs.

  • "I would also just like to mention that I am incredibly thankful for your resources. You guys on the Stossel team provide quality videos that actually go over important issues and point out not only the, shall we say, "logical errors" with mainstream political thought, but also historical examples of problems with certain systems and thought-provoking points about liberty and the exchange of freedom for services. It is awesome to hear people talking about the dangers of big government and the hypocrisy of both parties … Please, keep it up—the world needs more of it!!"

    — Gabe Garone, High School Senior

  • “I wanted to say thank you for your efforts in creating thought provoking videos and discussion questions on issues that are taking place in our world. We are a homeschool family and strive to teach our kids to think, evaluate and decide about their worldview and the issues that are presented to them. Thank you for all you do, you are very much appreciated!”

    — Homeschool Parent

  • “Thank you, John and everyone in 'The Classroom' for your resources. In a day and age where critical thinking and civil discourse have largely gone by the wayside, you are a bright light of hope for our teachers and students. Keep up the great work!”

    — Social Studies H.S. Teacher

  • “John Stossel is the reason why I am a libertarian. I had a teacher in high school show several of his 20/20 special reports and my parents were religious watchers of the show in general. You will probably never see this, but thank you John, you shaped me in ways that I cannot express.”

    —@jonrazo7912

  • “I appreciate your style of journalism, where you genuinely try to be honest in your reporting (and even play devil's advocate at times). How do we fix mainstream media to also be as honest and professional?"

    —@richardeschloss

  • “John Stossel has used his voice and work to advocate for the noblest thing; the liberty of others. He has done so for decades with talent, passion and extreme effort. Mr. Stossel if you are reading this thank you, you were my education in high school.”

      —@teamgoosenest

NBTV: 2024 in Review

“I can’t thank you enough for the wonderful work you do in bringing so much important information to our attention. You’re standing up for the countless millions of people around the world whose freedom and safety are at risk. Realistically, it’s all of us now since the ultimate repercussions of madness don’t respect borders.”
— @jozsefizsak
“Yes I’d have to agree with the others @Naomi you stand out as one of the best educational YouTubers for me! Your depth of coverage on these topics is amazing considering how entertaining and digestible you manage to make them. Thank you for putting out content that raises the bar on all fronts.”
— @gregsayshi

Partner Network

CIT is proud of the partnerships we have established with other free market and pro-liberty educational organizations.  We strive to break down the territorial borders between organizations because we really are on the same team — the team that educates for liberty.  

We look forward to continuing to build and strengthen those partnerships in the year ahead.

In October 2024,  John hosted an engaging webinar featuring The Mill Institute's Ellie Avishai, and UNDIVIDE US Director Kristi Kendall. Educators joined us to gain practical strategies for teaching students how to constructively engage with differing viewpoints. Nearly 95% of educators who attended this webinar indicated they are likely to implement the resources we shared to foster civil discourse in their classrooms, demonstrating the practical impact of our resources and events.

Stossel TV: YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Rumble | TikTok | Newsletter

Podcast: Apple | Amazon | Google | iHeart | Spotify

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