ABSTRACT
The importance of the muckrakers – a group of journalists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries who exposed wrongdoing in society – has been well chronicled. But their role in the development of business journalism in the United States has been all but ignored. Their reporting and writing tactics help set the tone and standard for future coverage of major corporations and economic inequities. Upton Sinclair’s exposure of the meatpacking industry led to government reforms. Ida Tarbell’s use of documents such as lawsuits and corporate records helped bring about the Supreme Court-ordered breakup of the Standard Oil Co. Lincoln Steffens brought to light the unethical financial dealings between company bigwigs and city government officials. Others exposed issues such as child labor and unsafe living conditions. These journalists brought new reporting and writing tactics to how corporate America was covered and set standards for years to come, bringing to light for the first time how big business affected large swaths of society and should be examined. This chapter examines the importance of the muckrakers from a business journalism perspective, showing reporters how to cover topics related to industry and the economy, and how the strategies used by the muckrakers rose and fell during business journalism’s evolution.
