Muckraking

Muckraking is the publishing of truthful reports of a public figure or figures with the intent to discredit them or harm their reputation. To search out and examine in detail with the ambition or objective to address the improvment of what is wrong, corrupt and unsatisfing in the human society.

The term Muckraking was coined by former president Theodore |Theodore Roosevelt during a speech. The Speech on april 14, 1906 was to identify the Presses negative views on the workings of government. He felt the progress being made was ignored by Journalists who were, at the time, exploiting the crimes Government Officials had committed. During his speech, he quoted the Pilgrims Progress, saying: "You may recall the description of the Man with the Muckrake, the man who could look no way but downward, with the muckrake in his hand; who was offered a celestial crown for his muck rake, but who would neither look up nor regard the crown he was offered, but continued to rake to himself the filth on the floor."

Ironically, Teddy's plan backfired. Journalists took up the title Muckraker with dignity and continued to investigate the intricacies of government; exposing members who had committed crimes and were involved in everything from conspiracy to direct violation of laws. To this day Muckraking' is a major part of the journalists job. At its essence, Muckraking is the exposing of the truth.

Muckraking is a very important term in journalism because as a journalist discovers and writes about the truth about politics or some other domain such as music or other treding topics, there has to be someone who will put social problems out in the open to enlighten people about the truth and expose scandles about the issuses and problems. It is an soucre of good news just like an update about the president's new next move.