b) Muckrakers
Theodore Roosevelt famously labeled investigative journalists as “Muckrakers” during the Progressive Era. This term, inspired by the character in John Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress” who raked through muck, was initially used pejoratively but later embraced by journalists. Muckrakers played a pivotal role in exposing societal ills and corporate malpractices through in-depth, often undercover, reporting. Their investigations into issues like child labor, political corruption, and consumer safety led to public awareness and significant reforms. Works such as Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle” and Ida Tarbell’s exposé of Standard Oil highlighted the power of journalism in effecting change. Muckrakers thus significantly contributed to the reformist zeal of the Progressive Era, embodying the period’s spirit of exposing truth and advocating for justice.