What is the role of muckrakers in the Progressive Era?

Definition of Muckrakers

Muckraker is often applied specifically to journalists. A muckraker is a person who intentionally seeks out and publishes the misdeeds, such as criminal acts or corruption, of a public individual for profit or gain. Sometimes this information is linked to powerful businessmen.

Role of Muckrakers in the Progressive Era

Muckrakers were journalists in the Progressive Era committed to exposing societal and governmental corruption, influencing public opinion, and prompting legislative reforms through their investigative reporting. A muckraker refers to a type of journalist who emerged during the Progressive Era, committed to exposing corruption, misdeeds, and malpractices in government and business sectors. The term was coined by President Theodore Roosevelt, referencing a character in John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress who was preoccupied with raking filth.

Contrary to yellow journalism, which focused on sensationalism to sell newspapers, muckrakers aimed to inform the public and prompt social reform through their investigative reporting. They played an instrumental role in the Progressive movement, highlighting issues such as corporate power, political corruption, child labor, and poor working conditions, which often led to significant social changes and the enactment of laws.

Journalists like Upton Sinclair, who wrote the novel The Jungle, helped bring about reforms in the food industry, while others focused on different ills plaguing the nation and sought to initiate action against them. The work of the muckrakers not only cast light on the dark corners of society but also inspired legislative changes and betterment for the citizenry.