Rake the Muck
What is Muck
Throughout history there have always been events that caused an uprising from the people. During the Progressive Era these events included yellow journalism. Yellow journalism is defined as a type of reporting that includes obscene exaggeration. The journalists responsible for yellow journalism are muckrakers. This term was coined by Theodore Roosevelt and can be described as journalists that focus on the ‘muck’, or bad parts, of society and publish it so the public is aware of how brutal things really are. The reason for Roosevelt’s speech, “The Man With the Muck Rake”, allows him to express his views on muckrakers and their wrongful doings toward society.
Theodore Roosevelt strongly believes that muckrakers are …show more content…
Throughout his speech he concentrates on the wrong doings when he says, “But the man who never does anything else, who never thinks or speaks or writes, save of his feats with the muck rake, speedily becomes, not a help but one of the most potent forces for evil (Roosevelt 43).” In other words, Roosevelt is expressing his disdain for the journalists and their writing. Instead of recognizing the achievements that benefit society during this era, such as new Amendments and agencies; the muckrakers focus their writing on the gruesome parts of society. In more blatant terms Roosevelt expresses the disservice the muckrakers have on society by saying, “The men with the muck rakes are often indispensable to the well being of society: but only if they know when to stop raking the muck…(Roosevelt 44).” Roosevelt could not have been clearer when discussing the negative effects muckrakers have on …show more content…
Muckrakers dig up the bad aspects of America, ironically, and as a result of their work the country has important acts and agencies that are implemented. A common example of a muckraker is Upton Sinclair. Sinclair is the author of The Jungle, which is a book that focuses on the poor working conditions of a food factory in Chicago. This book, written in 1906, includes graphic language which allows for Americans to realize what really is going on in the process of making food (Costly 2008). As a result of Upon Sinclair, the United States creates the Food and Drug Act, or FDA. The FDA regulates how food is prepared as well as what can go into it. Muckrakers write about these nasty topics of society and in some cases they cause America to step up and regulate important aspects of lives such as the food, in order to keep the citizens healthy (FDA
What is Muck
Throughout history there have always been events that caused an uprising from the people. During the Progressive Era these events included yellow journalism. Yellow journalism is defined as a type of reporting that includes obscene exaggeration. The journalists responsible for yellow journalism are muckrakers. This term was coined by Theodore Roosevelt and can be described as journalists that focus on the ‘muck’, or bad parts, of society and publish it so the public is aware of how brutal things really are. The reason for Roosevelt’s speech, “The Man With the Muck Rake”, allows him to express his views on muckrakers and their wrongful doings toward society.
Theodore Roosevelt strongly believes that muckrakers are …show more content…
Throughout his speech he concentrates on the wrong doings when he says, “But the man who never does anything else, who never thinks or speaks or writes, save of his feats with the muck rake, speedily becomes, not a help but one of the most potent forces for evil (Roosevelt 43).” In other words, Roosevelt is expressing his disdain for the journalists and their writing. Instead of recognizing the achievements that benefit society during this era, such as new Amendments and agencies; the muckrakers focus their writing on the gruesome parts of society. In more blatant terms Roosevelt expresses the disservice the muckrakers have on society by saying, “The men with the muck rakes are often indispensable to the well being of society: but only if they know when to stop raking the muck…(Roosevelt 44).” Roosevelt could not have been clearer when discussing the negative effects muckrakers have on …show more content…
Muckrakers dig up the bad aspects of America, ironically, and as a result of their work the country has important acts and agencies that are implemented. A common example of a muckraker is Upton Sinclair. Sinclair is the author of The Jungle, which is a book that focuses on the poor working conditions of a food factory in Chicago. This book, written in 1906, includes graphic language which allows for Americans to realize what really is going on in the process of making food (Costly 2008). As a result of Upon Sinclair, the United States creates the Food and Drug Act, or FDA. The FDA regulates how food is prepared as well as what can go into it. Muckrakers write about these nasty topics of society and in some cases they cause America to step up and regulate important aspects of lives such as the food, in order to keep the citizens healthy (FDA