History Fact Finder | Culture and Recreation - What Is Muckraking Journalism?

What is muckraking journalism?

Muckraking is a term applied to journalists who use newspapers as a means of attacking injustice, exposing abuses, and circulating information about misconduct to the general public. The term was popularized in the late 1800s when some American journalists began to stray from reporting news events and started investigating and writing about prominent people and organizations. Concerned with exposing corruption in both business and politics, they helped raise awareness of social, economic, and political ills. Their work led to a number of reforms and legislative changes. Magazine articles in the early 1900s on corrupt practices in such businesses as the Beef Trust, the Amalgamated Copper Company, and various life insurance companies led to crucial actions on pure food laws and antitrust legislation. These articles permanently changed the role of the journalist in society.

While the early...

Join eNotes

The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:

eNotes Pass