During the Progressive Era (1896-1917) in the United States, there were journalists, writers, and photographers known as muckrakers. They aimed to reveal corruption and wrongdoing in big businesses and the government by publishing sensationalist books and articles. Although President Theodore Roosevelt initially created the term to criticize journalists who he believed had crossed the line in their pursuit of stories, many journalists in today’s world, including Jessica Mitford, consider the term an honor. For me, I agree with Mitford that it is an honor to be a muckraker. By exposing social injustices and advocating for social, political, and economic reforms, it shows that investigative journalism means nothing more than exposing the truth
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His series of articles, first published in McClure’s Magazine, was later put together in a book titled The Shame of the Cities. In his article, he sought to bring about political reforms in urban America by appealing to the emotions of people. Steffens went beyond mere sensational exposure and worked to reveal the roots of corruption and the way in which the corrupt system worked. His investigation on Wall Street brought about the Federal Reserve System, which is an institution that oversees the nation’s payments …show more content…
Two prominent examples of this are Lincoln Steffens' "The Shame of the Cities" (1904) and David Graham Phillips' "The Treason of the Senate" (1906). Steffens' work focused on the political corruption in New York City, and uncovered the underlying causes of corruption and the ways in which the corrupt system functioned. “wrote about corrupt city and state politics” On the other hand, Phillips wrote a series of articles exposing corruption in the U.S. Senate, leading to increased scrutiny and calls for reform in the Senate's practices. These works brought attention to the need for transparency and accountability in government, ultimately paving the way for new reforms and regulations in American
His series of articles, first published in McClure’s Magazine, was later put together in a book titled The Shame of the Cities. In his article, he sought to bring about political reforms in urban America by appealing to the emotions of people. Steffens went beyond mere sensational exposure and worked to reveal the roots of corruption and the way in which the corrupt system worked. His investigation on Wall Street brought about the Federal Reserve System, which is an institution that oversees the nation’s payments …show more content…
Two prominent examples of this are Lincoln Steffens' "The Shame of the Cities" (1904) and David Graham Phillips' "The Treason of the Senate" (1906). Steffens' work focused on the political corruption in New York City, and uncovered the underlying causes of corruption and the ways in which the corrupt system functioned. “wrote about corrupt city and state politics” On the other hand, Phillips wrote a series of articles exposing corruption in the U.S. Senate, leading to increased scrutiny and calls for reform in the Senate's practices. These works brought attention to the need for transparency and accountability in government, ultimately paving the way for new reforms and regulations in American