Follow A Columnist: Part 5 – John Stossel

Well known columnist and political pundit John Stossel has been the subject of my Follow A Columnist series, and, in the time spent researching his work and prior experiences, his strategies and methods of relaying the news have been made clear. Stossel’s Twitter is effectively used to provide a small amount of detail regarding his most recent blog posts, and a link so that one may read more on the given topic. Stossel also isn’t afraid to hold back in regards to his opinions, and his frankness over political matters grants him an air of decisiveness and provides a clear message to those who both agree and disagree with him. Stossel’s Twitter is his only notable social media platform, and as a result he relies predominantly on said platform to advertise his website, where he posts all of his blogs and editorials. His content is all politically based, with variations in the specific topics. His articles cover his disdain or approval for various laws, government policies, or prominent political figures. I find his content to be agreeable for the most part, with a few of his opinions conflicting with my own, namely those in which he sees things as very black and white. I find such a viewpoint to be hypocritical, as most of his platform is built off his nonpartisan views. However, I still find his content and person to be both respectable and agreeable. His website and Twitter are accessible on nearly any medium, and are easily navigated on mobile and desktop, with the former even having its own format, which is just as easy to use as the latter. The website is visually engaging, as is the content. Stossel’s Twitter also uses various images and video clips from either outside sources or his own footage, making it equally visually engaging. Stossel interacts with his followers on occasion by asking them questions, and answering theirs. His questions and answers are all politically based, and reflect his opinions both in his answers to said questions and the nature of his questions. As a self described Libertarian, Stossel believes in the holding of the individual freedom of United States citizens above all else, and he isn’t afraid to dive into controversial opinions regarding political events. This has drawn the ire of both conservative and liberal news outlets and political figures. Stossel uses this opposition to further push his political agenda and argue his case in the events of controversies such as court cases, new laws, and policy reform. His strategies are bold, intelligent and divisive. However, such qualities grant a refreshing truthfulness to his news reporting that is often found lacking in more partisan news outlets or groups. Unfortunately, I was unable to establish contact with John Stossel. An analysis of his social media platform and website allowed me to draw these conclusions and form this examination.