ABCNEWS Correspondent John Stossel

— -- John Stossel joined the ABC newsmagazine, 20/20 in 1981.

He began doing one-hour primetime specials in 1994.

Stossel's first special, "Are We Scaring Ourselves to Death?," examined exaggerated fears over risks such as crime and pollution. It was followed by "The Blame Game," which looked at Americans' growing tendency to blame their misfortunes on others.

Recently, Stossel traveled around the world comparing America with life elsewhere and to ask "Is America Number #1?" - where he explores what it is about America that accounts for its inventiveness and prosperity. In "You Can't Say That!—What's Happening to Free Speech?," Stossel looked at several fronts in the battle between free speech and censorship. He looked at gender differences in "Boys and Girls Are Different," the mechanics of mating in "Love, Lust, and Marriage," and the science behind happiness for "The Mystery of Happiness." He examined bogus lawsuits in "The Trouble With Lawyers" and bogus scientific claims in "Junk Science: What You Know That May Not Be So."

"Freeloaders" focused on how getting "something for nothing" appeals to all of us, including rich people who use the power of government to help themselves. "Greed" offered a positive perspective on enlightened self-interest, challenging conventional wisdom on how we view businessmen, philanthropy and the social impact of such individuals as Michael Milken and Mother Teresa. Stossel openly questioned why Americans are routinely jailed for voluntarily participating in the so-called "consensual crimes," in "Sex, Drugs and Consenting Adults."

The specials, which have consistently rated among the top news programs when broadcast, have earned Stossel uncommon praise: "The most consistently thought-provoking TV reporter of our time" (Dallas Morning News); "Has the gift for entertaining while saying something profound" (Orlando Sentinel).

In addition to longer reports for "20/20," Stossel is featured on his weekly segment called "Give Me a Break," on 20/20 Friday." These short commentaries have taken skeptical looks at a wide range of issues, including an examination of people who want to censor cartoons, controversial baseball player John Rocker, the color you can paint your house, and those who want government to police our homes and to rule on what prices are "fair."