Chapter 6: Muckraking

Virginia Westerns Community College

    In the late 1800's and early 1900's corporate power was at an all time high with big business having near limitless power and control over the government. The common worker was poor and had no way to make the injustices he suffered known. It was during this time however, that a kind of journalist known as a "muckraker" came to be.

    The term muckraker was coined by President Roosevelt to describe reporters who focus on the less glamorous elements of society. The muckrakers had a profound impact by exposing how deep the corruption of the gilded age ran, with products known to be unsafe being sold to populace and bribes being given all the way up to the senate. These giants of journalism; Steffens, McClure, Tarbell, Sinclair and Bok shown a light on these foul practices and created real, lasting social change that we still benefit from today.

   This chapter represents something that is lost in much of today's journalism; the will to say what is necessary. Today we move once more toward unregulated corporate power taking advantage of the common man but unlike then much of our news is owned by these same companies so they don't report on their immoral practices. While there are still those who will report on these injustices I fear for their ability to get this information to the common people.