General 3 — Center for Independent Thought

Dear Friend,

In 2023, Stossel TV sustained our momentum, building on the success of the previous year. Our annual views increased 12% over 2022. We also launched a podcast, because some people just want to listen, not watch.

Most importantly, we began training the next generation of liberty-oriented talent. Trevor Kraus of Students for Liberty made a video about burdensome FDA regulation. This year, we’ll help Rikki Schlott, co-author of The Canceling of the American Mind, make a video. I want to train young people to replace me.

Our videos do reach lots of young people. Thousands of comments each week demonstrate that our audience values reporting that celebrates liberty and economic freedom. I hope you will continue to join us in our efforts.

Onward in liberty,
John Stossel

From John Stossel

From CIT’s President

Dear CIT supporters,

Last year was a year of growth for CIT: the number of videos produced, video views, followers, and registered teachers; a new podcast, and new partnerships.

We got out more, too. In 2023, John spoke at The Heartland Institute’s annual dinner in Chicago and hosted a Stossel Town Hall for Educators, featuring Barbara Oakley. I participated in Antigua Forum, which brings together nonprofit leaders and others to solve problems nonprofits are facing. I also participated in quarterly Young Freedom Leaders meetings, led by CIT supporter Louis Chiavacci. I believe in working with like-minded organizations to expand our common goal: to defend liberty.

Our work to engage educators and students continues. I led a colloquium for Florida International University students at Free to Choose Network’s Capitaf, Milton Friedman’s summer home, and attended conferences of the National Council of Economic Educators, and the Mont Pelerin Society, held in Bretton Woods, NH. Adriana and I promoted Stossel in the Classroom at the annual conference of the National Council for the Social Studies, and along with Common Sense Economics author Tawni Hunt Ferrarini and FTCN CEO Rob Chatfield, SITC co-sponsored a celebration of freedom for Constitution Day.

We’re reaching more people and working with more organizations as we continue on our mission to expand awareness of individual liberty, free markets, and peace. The generosity of our donors allows us to carry on our work. We thank you for your steadfast support.

Best wishes for a happy, healthy, and productive 2024!
Rob Schimenz

Stossel TV: 2023 in Review

In “Ticking Time Bomb: Social Security & Medicare Are Broke,” Dan Mitchell from Center for Freedom and Prosperity discusses how the government's promise to take care of old people is unsustainable because there aren’t enough young people to pay for it all. There aren’t many videos criticizing ballooning debt and unsustainable entitlements with over 1.2 million views. In 2024, Stossel TV will continue to spotlight “boring but important” topics in engaging videos.

Stossel Fellows

In 2023, Stossel TV launched the Stossel Fellows program to help identify and train the next generation of pro-liberty broadcasters. The program offers a unique learning opportunity to liberty-minded individuals as it trains them in the video making process: idea development, research, writing, on-camera work, and post-production.

Our first Stossel Fellow, Trevor Kraus, has been Story Editor at Students For Liberty for the past two years. He writes video scripts, conducts research, and provides narration for the Learn Liberty video platform, which features a subscriber base of almost 300,000. Trevor graduated from the University of Missouri's School of Journalism in 2014, and went on to publish a book and teach English in Spain. He was born, raised, and currently lives in St. Louis, MO.

Watch Trevor’s video on burdensome FDA regulations below:

“I thought I knew a thing or two about working on pro-liberty videos, but the Stossel Fellowship forced me to be even more thorough, specific, and engaging. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hone my skills with the best in the business, in the greatest city in the world. I wouldn't trade that experience for anything.”
- Trevor Kraus

Video Highlights

In 2023, John spotlighted the unintended consequences of DEI training, which does more harm than good. He also interviewed a “Marxian” professor and held a rare debate about what’s actually being taught in college classrooms.

Stossel in the Classroom: 2023 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 3,253 engaging submissions. In June, SITC awarded $25,000 in prize money to 67 students.

Rob leading a colloquium for FIU students at Free to Choose Network’s Capitaf, Milton Friedman’s summer home.

John interviewing Barbara Oakley during SITC's Stossel Town Hall for Educators: The Exciting Intersection of Neuroscience and Education.

Teacher workshop at Cato Institute's 2023 Sphere Summit in Washington, DC.

Lindenwood University students participating in a Constitution Day event.

Lindenwood University students speaking with Judge Ginsburg after a Constitution Day event.

Rob discussing Stossel in the Classroom at the 2023 Antigua Forum

Notes of appreciation from educators.

"SITC has been very beneficial in my teaching of 7th grade Geography over the years. The lessons are engaging and timely and offer insights into both sides of current issues. We called them, 'ThingsThat Make You Go Hmmm'"

— 7TH GRADE MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER
"The work in preparing all of the resources is invaluable, I could have NEVER done this all on my own. I really appreciate the amount of work put it these lessons and the access to the information."

— LANGUAGE ARTS H.S. TEACHER
"SITC resources, videos and discussion questions are a much-appreciated introduction to civil discourse in my classroom. Be able to use videos to help students be aware or both sides of an issue, not just the side that is presented to them according to their phone's algorithm, has helped my students form genuine opinions and discuss their viewpoints with confidence. Thank you."

— SOCIAL STUDIES H.S. TEACHER

NBTV: 2023 in Review

“I personally look up to the whole NBTV team. You are untamable, who never know what giving up means, no filters, to the point, keep coming back with more information and educational content to all types and level of people. Keep it up NBTV team.”

— NBTV Subscriber

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 September 2023, in celebration of Constitution Day, Stossel in the Classroom partnered with izzit.org and The Hammond Institute for Free Enterprise at Lindenwood University to host an engaging session with the esteemed Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg. Judge Ginsburg, from the United States Court of Appeals, explored whether the Constitution is still relevant in today's society and whether it needs to be amended to reflect modern values.