Journalists or Heroes?

I’d say both. They wore no ‘S’ on their chests, but they were known to have saved the lives of millions, along with helping make our nation a healthier and cleaner place in just about every way possible. Corruption is one of our biggest fears and it was very much alive throughout the 1900’s, when our nation was undergoing a historic industrial expansion. New inventions were created, factories were dramatically increasing in efficiency, and national resources were being used more than ever before, moving us away from foreign dependence. This put America’s industry on top of the world, but just how well off were we? America’s intense progress only allowed room and distraction for more crime; we were economically superior, but in danger as civilians.

As i continue to read "Mightier than the Sword" by Rodger Streitmatter, I am only more amazed at how the media can take on such a historic role in keeping economies in line. The power of journalism has taken on many battles, but continues to maintain it's victory. Chapter 6: "Muckraking the Golden Age of Reform Journalism", is nothing ,but informative in terms of explaining just how journalism saved lives, along with our economy. For anyone with the passion of a journalist, this chapter will inspire you.

In just about any comic book or cartoon, the villains live in a world where corruption and greed prospers. Although superheroes and villains are fictional and created for entertainment purposes, our nation’s villains were very real… and they were rich robber barons, doctors, politicians and our own government. This comic-like world was           New York Times, June 10, 1911         a sad reality and there were villains by the dozen and they were all powerful. Though, as powerful as they seemed, they weren’t indestructible. They all had one weakness to put an end to them: The Media.  

The Fourth Estate took this opportunity to shine, and shine they did. They attacked democracy with their investigative skills, successfully exposing their wrongdoing and crimes to the people. These men were being exposed locally and even federally in the U.S. senate. President Theodore Roosevelt accused the journalists of “Raking Muck” for only digging up only negative elements of our society, although he was a supporter of the movement. 

Rise of the Muckrakers:

Renowned names such as Lincoln Steffens, S.S. McClure, Ida Minerva Tarbell, and Upton Sinclair, were all crusaders of this movement. These muckrakers helped change the nation single-handedly with dedication and bravery. They were our nations superheroes and the media was their number one weapon. Each is known to attack different issues of the industry from the food sanitation, to the faulty medicine that caused more damage than good. 
 
Lincoln Steffens set the footprints for most journalists of his time for being the first muckraker to take action. His article, “Tweed Days in St. Louis” became widespread, opening the eyes of Americans by helping them see what is happening under their very noses. He took down the corruption and bribery of the St. Louis government by enlightening the citizens on the issues happening in their own home. 

 
  “After publishing the St. Louis article, Steffens moved on to other cities, creating blockbuster articles that exposed wrongdoing in Minneapolis, Pittsburg, Philadelphia, Chicago and New York City. Steffens then moved on to state governments, reporting the illegal and unscrupulous practices among government officials in Missouri, Illinois, Rhode Island, and New Jersey. Steffens’s series was one of the most significant examples of muckraking journalism that some dubbed the ‘literature of protest’” – Rodger Streitmatter

          Steffens was inspirational for his work, investigating in major cities nationwide and successfully taking down dozens of officials. If one man was capable of making such a strong impact, anyone can. Muckraker journalists began taking their work with such enthusiasm, eager to make as much impact as the last.