Muckraking

Muckraking refers to investigative journalism that aims to expose social injustices, corporate malfeasance, and political corruption, particularly in the United States during the Progressive Era (roughly 1900–1915). Journalists used rigorous reporting, document-based research, and sometimes undercover work to reveal abuses affecting the public. The phrase was popularized by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906, who used it to describe reform-minded reporters who dwelled on society’s “muck,” though many embraced it as a badge of reform.

Prominent muckrakers and works include Ida Tarbell’s History of the Standard Oil Company (1904–1905), Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle (1906), and Lincoln Steffens’s The Shame of the Cities (1904). Their reporting helped spark reforms and antitrust actions. Journalists wrote for magazines such as McClure's, Collier's Weekly, and Cosmopolitan; others, including Ida B. Wells-Barnett, exposed racial and social injustices. The movement highlighted the power of public scrutiny to press for change.

Impact and methods: Muckraking linked meticulous data gathering, public records, interviews, and narrative storytelling to shift public opinion and influence policy, contributing to measures like the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, as well as city- and state-level reforms. It fostered a culture of accountability and transparency in governance and business practice.

Criticism and legacy: The approach was praised for exposing corruption but criticized for sensationalism and bias. Despite critiques, muckraking helped establish investigative journalism as a durable tool of public accountability, shaping ongoing efforts to uncover corruption, corporate power, and social harms.