Muckrakers, not Scavengers

     As long as there are the letters ‘er’ at the last part of the word, it is reasonable to think that the word muckraker is used to explain a specific kind of a person. The word muck means garbages, or something dirty and minor. To rake is to look around and collect something. When combined, the two words create a word muckrake, which seems to explain an action of collecting garbages. This was the first feeling of impression of the word muckraker – a garbage collector. It is pretty much clear that the word itself does not feel that positive. However, just like the case of Lincoln Steffens and Upton Sinclair, the word can be interpreted as a positive, and actually it is now being used in positive purposes. Muckraker is a person who reveals the dark side of the society, not a person who continuously seeks around for underground information like a scavenger.

Lincoln Steffens, who was born in San Francisco, clearly shows that muckraker is a proud title. Steffens is a typical muckraker who seeks for some information as a journalist. He first started his work as a journalist in New York Evening Post, but later he moved to McClure’s magazine, and began to build his career as a muckraker. He mainly focused on the government and corruptions, leaving several outcomes, represented by The Shame of the Cities. In the book, he showed the corrupted part of the U.S government and stirred up the emotions of American citizens. By reading it, U.S citizens could see the undiscovered and corrupted part of the government and began to eager for a change. He greatly contributed to the improvement of U.S government by showing the hidden wrongdoings of politicians. Therefore, the life of Steffens is an appropriate example that shows the benefit of muckrakers.

Upton Sinclair, from Maryland, also prooves the beneficial part of muckraker. Sinclair was a journalist who concentrated on revealing problems in food industry. One of his famous works is The Jungle, he accused the system of meatpacking industry which showed the problems that can be found in unregulated capitalism. The system was so dirty and unhumane that any people who realizes the system would feel awkward in having those meats. He looked around for the wrong parts of the industry and publicized those problems as an attack to the capitalist enterprises. However, even the effect was not expected, the readers of the book were so touched by the facts lying under the industry that they stopped buying meats, cutting down the purchase of meats to the half. Sinclair made clear that the effect was unexpected by saying, "I aimed at the public's heart, and by accident I hit it in the stomach." However, although it was not done intentionally, Sinclair greatly helped the food industry to improve. His works shows the possibility of muckrakers to change the world into a better one.

The term muckraker itself can be interpreted badly as it is a combination of not quite positive words. Some of the people might even regard muckrakers as sly, cunning scavengers. However, the examples of Lincoln Steffens and Upton Sinclair clearly shows that muckrakers are working hard to Improve the society. Therefore, the term muckraker is a word that we should accept with an honor.