Muckrakers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals, particularly journalists, who investigate and expose corruption, misconduct, and societal issues in politics and business
2. Reporters known for digging deep into scandals and injustices, aiming to shed light on wrongdoings and incite reform
3. Advocates for social change who reveal hidden truths by showcasing exploitative practices or systemic failures in various institutions

Etymology: Theodore Roosevelt gave the word its modern sense in a speech on April 14, 1906, titled "The Man with the Muck-rake." He was drawing on a figure from John Bunyan's allegory "The Pilgrim's Progress," a man who stares down at a muck-rake, the tool for pulling filth together, and refuses to look up at the celestial crown held above him. Roosevelt's point was partly a rebuke, but he also praised such men: they were "often indispensable to the well being of society," provided they knew when to stop raking the muck and look upward. The word itself is a plain compound of "muck," meaning dung or dirt, and "raker," one who rakes. Its plural is "muckrakers," the form used for the group of reform-minded journalists who took up Roosevelt's label and, to their own pride, adopted it. The image of a person stooped over filth, raking through it for what others would prefer to ignore, carried over into the investigative writing that exposed corruption in business, politics and public institutions.

Synonyms: investigative journalist, reporter, whistleblower