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Muckraking!: The Journalism That Changed America
In collecting the kind of reportage that all too rarely appears in this age of media triviality and corporate conglomeration, Muckraking! documents an alternative journalistic tradition, one marked by depth of vision, passion for change, and bravery. From the Stamp Act to the abolition movement to the Vietnam war, from the fight against patent medicines to the elimination of labor spies, from the integration of baseball to the safety of government atomic workers, and from putting people in jail to getting them out, this book illustrates the great journalism that has made America a better country. With more than 125 entries that range across three centuries, Muckraking! brings together the greatest moments of American journalism. Supplying historical context and critical commentary, the book also includes a selection of influential photographs and illustrations. By turns compelling and shocking, Muckraking! is an anthology for anyone who feels passionate about the heights that journalism can climb or its ability to illuminate the darkest depths.
392 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 27, 2012
This book is not an easy read. It's a fantastic resource for Journalists looking to investigate the history of the profession, and it does illuminate a lot of it. But it's not easy reading. I wouldn't recommend this unless you seriously care about Journalism or have a paper to write
October 10, 2016
Muckraking is a book of collected newpaper article (and a few radio transcripts) that show the development of exposing "wrongful doing" in American history. It's a great study. Some of the articles I'd never read and many of them I never knew about.
The book is divided into various sections each dealing with a specific topic: the poor, the working class, sports, politics.
Some of the issues covered are things we are familiar with: Upton Sinclair's exposure of the meat-packing industry, Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, Watergate. But so so many of them are delightful little tidbits from the past. One deals with a San Francisco reporter who dumped himself off the side of a ferry boat to check the response/rescue time and effort. The style leaves you no doubt this was Mark Twain although he is not mentioned as the author. Jessica Mitford exposes the funeral industry. Edward Murrow describes the Blitz.
Perhaps my favorite comes from an author very few people know but who is a wonderful nature writer. When I was young I ran across the book Wild Animals I Have Known by Ernest Thompson Seton. Seton was a naturalist and a natural writer. Although written at the end of the 19th century Wild Animals doesn't read like an "old-fashioned" book and, in fact, I didn't know it was that old when I read it. The writing is that smooth. In his article Seton describes how his "boss" at the magazine has allowed him to "work from home" and shows how boys can search out the "wildlife" that they thought didn't exist around their houses. He talks about things such as finding and casting animal tracks and other outdoor skills. The thing I didn't know was that it was his articles like this in the Ladies Home Journal that inspired Sir Robert Baden-Powell to found the Boy Scouts. Seton formed the American branch in conjunction, but a falling out led him to leave the scouts and found the Cub Scouts.
Some of the articles are great, some are not. Some of the events are fascinating, some are dull - for instance, I didn't read any on the sports scandals due to lack of interest. But all show the American tradition of looking under the basket to see what's going on in the dark.
Well worth a read if you're interested in the history of muckraking or are a journalist or journalism student.
The book is divided into various sections each dealing with a specific topic: the poor, the working class, sports, politics.
Some of the issues covered are things we are familiar with: Upton Sinclair's exposure of the meat-packing industry, Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, Watergate. But so so many of them are delightful little tidbits from the past. One deals with a San Francisco reporter who dumped himself off the side of a ferry boat to check the response/rescue time and effort. The style leaves you no doubt this was Mark Twain although he is not mentioned as the author. Jessica Mitford exposes the funeral industry. Edward Murrow describes the Blitz.
Perhaps my favorite comes from an author very few people know but who is a wonderful nature writer. When I was young I ran across the book Wild Animals I Have Known by Ernest Thompson Seton. Seton was a naturalist and a natural writer. Although written at the end of the 19th century Wild Animals doesn't read like an "old-fashioned" book and, in fact, I didn't know it was that old when I read it. The writing is that smooth. In his article Seton describes how his "boss" at the magazine has allowed him to "work from home" and shows how boys can search out the "wildlife" that they thought didn't exist around their houses. He talks about things such as finding and casting animal tracks and other outdoor skills. The thing I didn't know was that it was his articles like this in the Ladies Home Journal that inspired Sir Robert Baden-Powell to found the Boy Scouts. Seton formed the American branch in conjunction, but a falling out led him to leave the scouts and found the Cub Scouts.
Some of the articles are great, some are not. Some of the events are fascinating, some are dull - for instance, I didn't read any on the sports scandals due to lack of interest. But all show the American tradition of looking under the basket to see what's going on in the dark.
Well worth a read if you're interested in the history of muckraking or are a journalist or journalism student.
October 15, 2012
some narrative are easy to read,
some need to much background that couldn't follow up.
all good powerful moments
that make the states a better place
in terms of equality, pursuit of happiness as we people/
Finished on Oct 14, 2012.
All true journalism reports covered 12 topics including The Poor, The working Class, Freedom, Sports, etc.
I found I like journalist reports more like a fiction writing or dairy keeping, like
John Howard Griffin Makes Himself Back to Experience Being a Negro in the South. Sepia. April to September.1960
&
William G. Shepherd of the United Press Describes the Horrors of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. United Press. May 27, 1911.
I like the reporter writing with more personal feelings, and of course with facts and logic. It's more appealing to me to get involved and not get bored with too much in-depth investigating.
Great stories!
some need to much background that couldn't follow up.
all good powerful moments
that make the states a better place
in terms of equality, pursuit of happiness as we people/
Finished on Oct 14, 2012.
All true journalism reports covered 12 topics including The Poor, The working Class, Freedom, Sports, etc.
I found I like journalist reports more like a fiction writing or dairy keeping, like
John Howard Griffin Makes Himself Back to Experience Being a Negro in the South. Sepia. April to September.1960
&
William G. Shepherd of the United Press Describes the Horrors of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. United Press. May 27, 1911.
I like the reporter writing with more personal feelings, and of course with facts and logic. It's more appealing to me to get involved and not get bored with too much in-depth investigating.
Great stories!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews