Muckrakers

While I don't agree with all of the tenets of progressivism (movement in the late nineteenth century, early 1900's), the muckrakers (type of journalists) of time tell an interesting story. And yes, the quote is from my history textbook. Don't laugh.

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The muckrakers served an important purpose, however, in informing the public. The golden era of muckraking journalism began in 1902 when Lincoln Steffens published in McClure's magazine an exposé of municipal corruption in St. Louis. His work was soon followed by Ida Tarbell's History of the Standard Oil Company (1904), a scathing portrait of the unscrupulous, even dishonest, methods used by John D. Rockefeller to build his oil empire. ...Unlike proponents of yellow journalism, who reported sensational stories simply to boost sales, muckrakers felt genuine concern for the causes they advanced. For the most part, muckrakers did not call for any specific action. They contented themselves with describing corruption in graphic detail and trusting in the revulsion of the American people to motivate reforms. In many cases, their faith proved justified as their attacks resulted in legislation addressing these abuses.

United States History Textbook, Bob Jones Curriculum, Third Edition