Persuasive Essay On Muckrakers

Muckraker: a negative, nefarious, and condescending term coined by President Theodore Roosevelt to insult the few nonconformists who have devoted their lives to exposing the corruption in society. But to some of these martyrs, such as Jessica Mitford, it is a noble and righteous title to hold. I believe that Mitford was correct and the term muckraker should be a title for these journalists to hold high in today’s society when its definition is someone who “searches out and publicly exposes real of apparent misconduct of a prominent individual or business.” Historically the term muckraker has been used as a belligerent term towards the dissidents who exaggerated the true. In 1906 when Roosevelt gave his speech he was employing the term to describe the yellow journalist of the time. A yellow journalist was a reporter who was applying propaganda to attract Americans to the Spanish- American war. This war was not necessary but the yellow journalists would extensively over-exaggerate the reality of situation and stir up licentious acerbic attitudes towards the Spanish. More modernly, the gossip columns of world acclaimed magazines are examples of muckrakers. They spread unconfirmed rumors
about pop stars and celebrities to rile up regular citizens. They invade the privacy of these famous entertainers, some going as far as to camouflage themselves in their surrounding for the “perfect picture.” As the general population does not have access to other statements they believe these columnists and instantly rebuke the celebrity for an act they probably didn’t actually commit. When the term muckraker is correctly defined and applied for the good of society then the positive outcomes of the situation reported on will outweigh the negative ways the reporter got the news, in words of Machiavelli “the ends justifies the means.” To expose the corruption in society guises and undercover work may be necessary. Upton Sinclair exposed the corruption of the meat packing industry in The Jungle. Sinclair had to go undercover into the packaging industry for weeks to collect evidence and expose the corruption of the industry. In a more recent war the famous muckraker, Seymour Hersh, disclosed the truth about the massacre in Vietnam. The My Lai discovery by Hersh contributed to the anti-war movement happening in America. Hersh had to go into unprotected areas to obtain the evidence needed to out this secret but to him it was worth it. Hersh didn’t exaggerate the truth with unnecessary details but instead told the truth and uncovered a ginormous black mark in American history. Hersh is also known for uncovering and reporting on CIA secrets, Israel’s nuclear program, and numerous government misconduct in the Middle East.
Muckraking has had its good and bad marks in history, but the true defining line between the positive and negative sides of muckraking is the motive which the muckraker has for obtaining the information.
Back in 1906 when yellow journalists were muckraking to exaggerate truths and spread lies muckraking was an inscrutably negative term. The bogus rumors spread by gossip column also leave a black mark on the term muckraking but this isn’t the truth of muckraking. The reporters who go into uncivilized and uncontrolled war zones, third world countries, and even political scandals are true heroes of society. Woodward and Bernstein’s exposure of Watergate was a vital use of muckraking techniques. They did go to extremes to discover the truth but the final result bettered society as a
whole.
Without the sheer will and determination of those select few who have earned the title of muckraker we would live in a corrupt society where no person or persons are punished for their actions. The ways of obtaining the information may be subliminal but these reporters shall be exonerated. They are the brave few who make it their beholden to not allow misbehavior to go without punishment. They are the ones who are honored to obtain the title of muckraker, as they should.