Muckraker

A muckraker is a journalist or writer who investigates and exposes corruption, abuses, or social problems. The term is especially associated with American reform journalism of the early twentieth century.

The Jungle: Upton Sinclair’s 1906 novel depicts dangerous conditions in Chicago’s meatpacking industry. Its vivid account of meatpacking helped spur public pressure for federal food-safety laws.
Progressive Era: A period of American reform and political activism from the 1890s to the 1920s. Muckraking became a prominent form of reform journalism during this period.
Investigative journalism: Journalism that uncovers facts through sustained research into matters of public interest. Muckraking is a historically specific form of this broader reporting practice.
Pure Food and Drug Act: A 1906 United States federal law regulating food and drug safety and labeling. Public reaction to food-industry exposés helped build support for federal regulation.
Ida Tarbell: An American journalist whose investigation of Standard Oil exposed its business practices. Her reporting made corporate monopoly a defining target of muckraking.
McClure's Magazine: An American magazine known for publishing influential investigative journalism around the turn of the twentieth century. Its serialized investigations helped establish muckraking as a recognizable journalistic practice.
Source protection: Journalistic practices and legal safeguards that help keep confidential sources’ identities secret. Confidential sources can expose wrongdoing while risking retaliation.
Meat Inspection Act of 1906: A United States federal law requiring inspection of livestock and meat products in interstate commerce. The Jungle helped intensify pressure for inspection of meatpacking.
Lincoln Steffens: An American journalist who investigated political corruption in municipal government. His city-government reporting revealed how local machines and businesses shared power.
Theodore Roosevelt: The 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. His 1906 speech popularized “muckraker” as a label for reform journalists.

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