Which term refers to a group of investigative reporters who exposed abuses of big business and urban politics, including Frank Norris, Ida Tarbell, Lincoln Steffens, and Upton Sinclair?

Which term refers to a group of investigative reporters who exposed abuses of big business and urban politics, including Frank Norris, Ida Tarbell, Lincoln Steffens, and Upton Sinclair?

• A. Investigative Journalists
• B. Muckrakers
• C. Progressive Reformers
• D. Reform Journalists

Answer: (B)

The concept here is a group of journalists known for digging into and exposing abuses by big business and city politics during the Progressive Era. They are called muckrakers. This label, popularized by President Theodore Roosevelt, highlights how these reform-minded reporters “raked dirt” to reveal social ills and push for change. Their work built public support for reforms and regulation. Examples associated with this group include writers who exposed monopolies, corrupt politics, and unsafe conditions: one documented how railroad interests controlled markets and spread influence; another uncovered the ruthless practices of a powerful oil trust; others exposed urban corruption and the unsafe, unsanitary conditions of industry. Their reporting helped spark major reforms in antitrust law, food and drug regulation, and urban governance. The other terms are not the standard label for this cohort. Investigative Journalists is a broad description, but the well-known historical term for this specific group is muckrakers, tied to a particular era and set of reform efforts.

The concept here is a group of journalists known for digging into and exposing abuses by big business and city politics during the Progressive Era. They are called muckrakers. This label, popularized by President Theodore Roosevelt, highlights how these reform-minded reporters “raked dirt” to reveal social ills and push for change. Their work built public support for reforms and regulation.

Examples associated with this group include writers who exposed monopolies, corrupt politics, and unsafe conditions: one documented how railroad interests controlled markets and spread influence; another uncovered the ruthless practices of a powerful oil trust; others exposed urban corruption and the unsafe, unsanitary conditions of industry. Their reporting helped spark major reforms in antitrust law, food and drug regulation, and urban governance.

The other terms are not the standard label for this cohort. Investigative Journalists is a broad description, but the well-known historical term for this specific group is muckrakers, tied to a particular era and set of reform efforts.