MEMPHIS, Tenn. (December 12, 2013) — John Stossel, correspondent for Fox News, is one of the most recognized and articulate reporters today. However, he once considered giving up his broadcasting career because of his stuttering.

Stossel is featured on the Stuttering Foundation's 18 Famous People Who Stutter poster and brochure.

"Fear of stuttering can easily become worse than the stuttering itself," observed Stossel. "The idea that I'm on television and making speeches is still a shock to me sometimes."

As part of its educational outreach, the Foundation offers a toll-free helpline, 800-992-9392, and maintains two Web sites, www.stutteringhelp.org (English) and www.tartamudez.org (Spanish).

Stossel's childhood and the early part of his career were fraught with the difficulties of stuttering. "I remember terror in the classroom," Stossel said. "In my early days as a reporter, I did regular live 30-second segments with the anchor of the news program; I woke up every morning in fear of that. The fear stayed with me all day long."

He considered quitting but, fortunately, sought speech therapy first. "Once I began to see the results of treatment, I was like a cork out of a bottle," he said. "I started talking all the time, celebrating and testing my newly found fluency."

Stossel is aware of the need for continued practice. "Immediately after going through intensive treatment, I remember having the attitude that I'd never have a stuttering problem again, and then the crushing disappointment when I did," he notes. "I had to constantly remind myself to keep practicing." Many adults who stutter must remember to practice speech therapy techniques in order to stay on top of their fluency.

Click here for a list of other famous people who stutter.

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