noun
- Journalists or writers who investigate and expose corruption, scandal, or wrongdoing in business, politics, or society.
Usage: Plural form; often used in historical context referring to early 20th-century American journalists; Can be used positively (as crusaders for truth) or negatively (as sensationalists)
Examples
- The muckrakers of the Progressive Era published exposés that led to major reforms in food safety and labor laws.
- Modern muckrakers continue to investigate corporate fraud and government corruption.
- Ida Tarbell and Upton Sinclair were famous muckrakers who changed American society.
- The newspaper's muckrakers uncovered illegal dumping by the factory.
- Some critics dismiss muckrakers as sensationalists, while others praise them as defenders of the public interest.
- Muckrakers played a crucial role in bringing attention to unsafe working conditions in mines and factories.