Muckraking

A second rhetorical tradition we consider this week is a bit harder to define: the tradition of muckraking, or the rhetoric of the exposé. Originally a narrative style of investigative journalism, muckraking is often credited with inspiring the Progressive movement of the early twentieth century. This movement clearly was a reaction to the muckrakers' exposés of corruption and greed in government, business, and even some churches, and it had a profound and lasting impact on American politics and culture. Progressive reformers passed new legislation regulating elections, interstate commerce, and even meat-packing plants, and they expanded educational opportunities, passed new labor laws, and instituted consumer protections. In retrospect, we tend to think of the Progressive era as a time of enlightened political and social reform, and as a result muckraking also has largely positive connotations today, conjuring up images of the crusading investigative reporter exposing the "truth." Yet progressivism also had a dark side, as self-proclaimed "progressives" also pushed for tougher Jim Crow laws, sterilization of the disabled and mentally ill, and imperialist adventures abroad—all in the name of social "progress."

In "The Man with the Muckrake," Theodore Roosevelt voiced his concern that the overzealous and sensationalistic reporting of some of the muckrakers actually might hurt the cause of progressive reform. In that speech, as our essay by Amy Heyse suggests, Roosevelt tried to strike a balance between celebrating muckrakers and defending their First Amendment rights on the one hand, and insisting that their exposés be fair and "absolutely truthful," on the other. In the process, TR articulated a social philosophy emphasizing the principles of balance, moderation, order, and stability–a philosophy that he also applied to the problem of greed and excessive wealth among businessmen and industrialists. In tones that Heyse describes as "sermonic," TR took his case against irresponsible muckrakers and greedy capitalists directly to the American people, denouncing those who he claimed had violated the public trust. In doing so, as Heyse explains, he pioneered the modern "rhetorical presidency"–the presidency that uses the bully pulpit to mobilize public opinion–and gave the muckrakers a taste of their own medicine. While not an example of muckraking per se, the speech exhibits some of the characteristics of the style, including the tone of moral outrage and the reduction of complex issues to simple matters of "right versus wrong" or "good versus evil." The speech clearly put the muckrakers on the defensive and may have moderated some of their subsequent critiques. 

At the end of this lesson, you will have a better understanding of these two great speakers and of two of the most common and persistent styles of popular speech in America: the emotional, rabble-rousing, "common-man" style of populism, and the narrative (story-telling) style of muckraking journalism. You also will have a better feel for one of the most fascinating periods in U.S. history and perhaps understand why many people still look to the Progressive Era for inspiration and guidance in addressing today's political and social problems. During the Progressive Era, America faced many of the challenges we still face today: rapid technological change, growing economic inequality, foreign entanglements, racial tensions, loss of community, and political disaffection. By developing more popular modes of public address and inviting ordinary citizens to participate in debates over the country's problems, speakers like William Jennings Bryan and Theodore Roosevelt inspired millions of Americans to "get involved" and to make their own voices heard.