Essay on "Role of Investigative Journalism the Industrial Revolution"

Essay 4 pages (1227 words) Sources: 6

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Role of Investigative Journalism

The Industrial Revolution created urban poverty, bigger business and a financial system with control over a wide array of industries from railroads to oil. A greater divide developed between the rich and the poor which would result in the crusade against evil. (Mabry)

The rise of Progressivism can be traced from the 1890's. Middle class reformers, often spurred by personal goals and moral outrage, sought to address issues of corruption in politics by business, problems with dangerous goods and corporate evasion of taxes. These reformers became the Progressives with a goal of taking action to put an end to the various abuses. Hoping to eliminate corruption in politics, preserve the dream of the American future and find ways to control big business, Progressives stressed the concept of virtue and efficiency. (Mabry)

As these reformers prepared to move forward, President William Mckinley was assassinated in 1901 and Theodore Roosevelt became President. Roosevelt appeared to support many Progressive goals by signing the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act. Ultimately, it was upon the national government that Roosevelt wanted corporations to rely. (Mabry)

President Roosevelt's truer goals became clear to journalists when David Graham Phillips began a series of articles in Cosmopolitan entitled "The Treason in the Senate." These articles included an attack on some of Roosevelt's political allies and Roosevelt had a sharp response. In a speech, Roosevelt coined the term "muckraker" in reference to investigative journalists and journalist subsequently experienced a sense of betrayal. Followi

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ng the speech, Mr. Phillips saw Roosevelt's name calling as marking the end of investigative journalism. Phillips said, "the greatest single definite force against muckrakin was President Roosevelt, who called these writers muckrakers. A tag like that running through the papers was an easy phrase of repeated attack upon what was in general a good journalistic movement. (Mabry)

Thankfully, Mr. Phillips was incorrect. Investigative journalism continues to live on, but there appears to be some explanations for the fits and spurts in such journalism. According to Mark Fieldstein, investigative journalism goes on the increase when the public becomes hungry for such articles and there is turmoil, be it political, social or cultural. (9) in addition, media supply, likely due to advancing technologies and journalistic competition along with fewer legal constraints are also required in order to experience investigative reporting at the levels seen during the Progressive Era. (12)

Another perspective on investigative journalism comes from Steve Weinberg and the proper formula needed to achieve results. Investigative journalism involves devoting time to the subject matter and the idea that editors and publishers give their journalists strong support if exhaustive efforts are to be pursued. Weinberg says that readers would appreciate in-depth reporting on the activities of powerful institutions. This is true today -- the contemporary issues are no less vital and in need of examination than they were during the Progressive Era. (Weinberg)

There are a wide range of situations that journalists addressed during the Progressive Era. It was a time of enormous problems and the corresponding journalistic efforts reflect the seriousness of the issues. Tenement housing and corporate greed are examples of the difficulties journalists sought to expose to the public. Writers worked diligently to enlighten Americans and those efforts shined a light on working conditions, unsafe food and products and other issues. Well-known books, such as the Jungle by Upton Sinclair, uncovered horrific circumstances and resulted in American's demanding change. Journalists, such as Ida Tarbell, doggedly worked to expose corporate monopolies, greed and corruption. There were studies on tenement housing by photographers, reporters tracking down slumlords and demands for reform from every corner. Indeed, there were sweeping reforms during… READ MORE

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Quoted Instructions for "Role of Investigative Journalism the Industrial Revolution" Assignment:

“

*****"Request for Freelance ***** only*****"

**Please include a works cited page.

I need a four page essay (approximately 1000-1500 words) responding to the following reflection question: *****How did Americans address the social, economic, and political problems that surfaced as a result of the industrial revolution? Which movement of the Progressive Era has had the most positive and lasting impact on society? How can the lessons of the Progressive Era be applied to the United States in the 21st century?

Explain your answer.***** The essay should include:

- A thesis statement and supporting arguments

- A paragraph about the social, economic, and political problems that resulted from the industrial revolution

- A paragraph about the muckrakers themselves (e.g., their middle class origins, education, and professional experience)

- A paragraph about the injustices or corruption the journalists uncovered

- A paragraph summarizing the articles, books, or photographic studies that exposed the injustices or corruption

- The reforms that resulted from these exposÃ©s

- A paragraph about the value of investigative reporting in the Progressive Era, its impact on society, and evidence of its lasting results.

- A conclusion about how the lessons of the Progressive Era can be applied to the United States in the 21st century

- A Works Cited section in which you list the title and URL for online resources and use the MLA method for printed sources. (See http://easybib.com for a free online citation maker.)

**Here are some websites the instructor gave us to use.**

RESEARCH MATERIALS

These resources will help you with your research. You need not consult them all and you are encouraged to locate other sources. However, be certain to use the Guidelines for Source Analysis to insure that your sources are reliable, credible, and objective: ***Please use at least 6 sources.*** And please use at least 4 Sources from the websites listed below.*** Also, please make sure any sources you use, are found online and please put the URL on the works cited page. Thank you so much!

GENERAL SOURCES

- Teddy Roosevelt and the Progressive Era

http://historicaltextarchive.com/sections.php?action=read&artid=598

- Muckraking

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Jmuckraking.htm

- Cities During the Progressive Era

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/progress/cities/cities.html

- Conservation in the Progressive Era

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/progress/conserve/conserve.html

- Immigrants in the Progressive Era

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/progress/immigrnt/immigrnt.html

WILLIAM G. SHEPHERD, TRIANGLE FACTORY FIRE

- Triangle Factory Fire

http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/trianglefire/

- Eyewitness at the Triangle

http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/trianglefire/texts/stein_ootss/ootss_wgs.html?location=Fire!

- The Triangle Fire

http://newdeal.feri.org/library/d_4m.htm

- The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1416870

- Photos from the Triangle Factory Fire

http://teaching.arts.usyd.edu.au/history/hsty3080/3rdYr3080/trianglewebsite/

- Photo Gallery Triangle Factory

http://newdeal.feri.org/library/d_4m.htm

JACOB RIIS, TENEMENT HOUSING

- Jacob Riis

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/1900/peopleevents/pande11.html

- How the Other Half Lives

http://www.bartelby.com/208/

- The Jews of New York

http://tenant.net/Community/LES/jacob4.html

- Jacob Riis Photographs

http://www.masters-of-photography.com/R/riis/riis.html

- Urban Castles: Tenement Housing and Landlord Activism in New York City, 1890-1943m

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2005/is_4_34/ai_76713062

- Health, Morality, and Housing: The *****Tenement Problem***** in Chicago

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1447986

UPTON SINCLAIR, PUBLIC HEALTH (MEAT PACKING INDUSTRY)

- Upton Sinclair

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Jupton.htm

- The Jungle

http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/Literature/Sinclair/TheJungle/

- 1906: Rumble over The Jungle

http://www.capitalcentury.com/1906.html

- Meatpacking in the U.S.: Still a *****"Jungle*****" Out There?

http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/250/meat-packing.html

- The Chain Never Stops

http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2001/07/meatpacking.html

- What*****s in the Meat?

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Health/What*****'s_In_Meat_FFN.html

IDA TARBELL, CORRUPTION OF BIG BUSINESS

- Ida Tarbell

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/rockefellers/peopleevents/p_tarbell.html

- The History of the Standard Oil Company

http://www.history.rochester.edu/fuels/tarbell/MAIN.HTM

- Clash of Titans: Rockefeller vs. Tarbell

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/rockefellers/sfeature/sf_6.html

- A Journalistic Masterpiece

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/rockefellers/sfeature/sf_7.html

- John D. Rockefeller and the Standard Oil Company

http://www.micheloud.com/FXM/SO/rock.htm

- The Rockefeller Archive Center

http://racweb.rockarch.org/rockglobal/

JOHN SPARGO, CHILD LABOR

- John Spargo

http://encyclopedia.stateuniversity.com/pages/12193/John-Spargo.html

- The Bitter Cry of the Children

http://books.google.com/books?

id=shkVAAAAIAAJ&dq=the+bitter+cry+of+the+children&pg=PP1&ots=ZhSarEOps-

&sig=hxBtMQl2jtanuDOW-AvYagYI3BI&hl=en&prev=http://www.google.com/search?

sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-

8&rlz=1T4GGIH_enUS220US220&q=The+Bitter+Cry+of+the+Children&sa=X&oi=print&ct=title&oi=print&ct=

title&cad=one-book-with-thumbnail#PPP2,M1

- Child Labor in America

http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/childlabor/

- Child Labor

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAchild.htm

- Child Labor: Grace Abbott Fights to Stop Child Labor

http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/gilded/jb_gilded_abbott_1.html

- Child Labor in New York City Tenements

http://www.tenant.net/Community/Les/kleeck9.html

LINCOLN STEFFENS, CORRUPTION OF POLITICAL OFFICIALS

- Lincoln Steffens

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Jsteffens.htm

- The Shame of the Cities: Steffens on Urban Blight

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5732/

- Lincoln Steffens Exposes *****Tweed Days in St. Louis*****

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5733

- Enemies of the Republic

http://www.cooperativeindividualism.org/steffens_enemies_of_republic.html

- Reforming Their World: Women in the Progressive Era

http://www.nwhm.org/ProgressiveEra/introwomenprogressive.html

- Pittsburg: A City Ashamed

http://www.clpgh.org/exhibit/steffens.html

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