Muckrakers Essay

312 Words2 Pages
Graded Assignment Muckrakers Under the Microscope Muckrakers were investigative journalists who exposed corruption in business or government, or examined serious societal issues. Several of the most well-known muckrakers worked for McClure’s Magazine, where they wrote exposés on large companies, meat slaughtering houses, and city governments. These prominent and influential reporters included Ida M. Tarbell, Lincoln Steffens, Upton Sinclair, and Ray Stannard Baker. Now suppose that you, too, are an investigative journalist. Instead of choosing a business or government, you have been asked to write a piece on one of the muckrakers. Which muckraker will you investigate? And how much information will you be able to provide? (100 points) Score 1. Write a well-constructed article on one muckraker using the outline you created during your website research. Keep the following points in mind as you write your essay: • Include important biographical information about the individual’s life. • Give specific examples of articles and books that were written. What businesses or government offices were targeted in the exposés? • What reforms or changes took place as a result of the individual’s writings? Answer: “It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his job depends on not understanding”- Upton Sinclair. Sinclair was one of the most popular muckrakers in his time. Sinclair unveiled the meat industry, he told every one of the horrific details and what has been happening behind doors, in Sinclair’s words “they use everything from a hog but the sequel”. Sinclair wrote “The Jungle” to tell the disturbing truths. His book became very popular rapidly because of this the pure food and drug act was passed along with the meat inspection act. Without Sinclair providing the public with the details of the meat industry many could have faced poisons or

More about Muckrakers Essay

Open Document