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?
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 theexposés?
· What reforms or changes took place as a result of the individual's writings?