Muckraking

     Never has there been an era that so thoroughly and honorably epitomized American journalism as the early twentieth century. Immediately following the Industrial Revolution of the nineteenth century, our nation reached a wildly unprecedented level of economic prosperity. Unfortunately, alongside of this newly achieved wealth was an endless slew of corrupt businessmen, all propelled by a greedy, seemingly insatiable lust for money. With our nation's prosperity on the line, a new breed of journalists was born to counter this horrific corruption, and so began the era of muckraking.

Source: United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division
Author: Pach Brothers

     Originally coined by a youthful, exasperated President Roosevelt in a moment of helpless frustration, the epithet muckraker soon became a term of endearment amongst the journalism community, and those that chose to pursue its path did so wearing a badge of pride. These journalists were greeted with immense amounts of praise and respect, and were capable of practically (and literally in some cases) doubling the readership of the magazines and newspapers they worked for. In keeping with the vast quantity of homegrown corruption, the list of muckrakers and their various causes is quite extensive, ranging from Ida Tarbell's expose on the Rockefeller oil trust to Samuel Hopkins Adams' articles on patent medicines to David Graham Phillips' brilliant exposure of the obscene corruption to be found in our own Senate!

J. Lincoln Steffens, May '94. Photograph by Rockwood, New York, New York

     Perhaps the most important muckraker, if not for his actual contributions but at least for being the father of the movement, was Lincoln Steffens. Steffens began his career covering Wall Street and city police for the New York Evening Post, and within ten years was writing for the greatest muckraking journal in history, McClure's. His exposure of the corruption within municipal government opened the eyes of many, not only to the true nature of their local politicians but also to the impact the written word can have on enemies of democracy such as these. However, the probing of muckraking investigations are by no means limited to the political sphere, and seemingly none throughout history have driven this point further home than Upton Sinclair. In his legendary series "The Jungle," Sinclair managed to expose the entire meatpacking industry, showcasing more atrocities in his written word than one could shake a stick at. 

A typical meatpacking plant (source)

    Of course, as always, you the reader may be skeptical as to whether or not any of this information is relevant in today's modern times. The answer? Absolutely. If any era of journalism truly embodies the responsibility, integrity, and sheer power of our written works, it is that of the muckrakers. These brave men and women put life and limb at risk to painstakingly investigate every facet of corrupt America and bring it to a screeching halt. If one was to ever question the direction they were taking in a certain piece or series, they must only look back to these proud journalists for reassurance and inspiration.