Muckrakers

When you study American history and literature the muckrakers show up first at the turn of the last century,   for example:    Upton Sinclair  ("The Jungle" 1906) and Ida Turbell  ("The History of the Standard Oil Company"  1904).  Typically muckraking happens during times of great turmoil and change,  and we have re-entered a time of heavy duty muckraking in our present historical period.

Jim Hightower and his "Hightower's Lowdown" is perhaps the best known of the left leaning commentators,  because of his media savvy, radio shows and such.  Amy Goodman  ("Democracy Now") is on the border line of muckraking with her sharp focus on things in the news which are usually either forgotten or minimized by the main stream press and media.   For the "right side" of the ledger,  the numbers of people operating on television (CNN, cable) and "talk radio" are virtually too numerous to mention.  Newt Gingrich is a well known political figure (presidential candidate up to a point) who indulges in muckraking without even giving what he says the degree of caution usually thought of by public figures. 

Whistleblowers might considered handmaidens to muckrakers,  but are more serious critics inasmuch as what they divulge has more serious societal implication and they can go to jail, be tried, lose their livelihoods,  marriages and worse.   The most famous of these at present would be Bradley Manning and Julian Assange  of the wikileaks movement.   It is said the present administration in Washington has pursued more whistleblowers than any proceeding administration,  perhaps because of political sensitivities, terrorism and other such concerns. 

It seems we need both of these categories of activities more than ever before.  In a society (or better said societies) in which there is heavy "information overload"/"media inundation," severe personal preoccupation and little or no critical sorting out of facts and data, we will need all the Jim Hightowers and Amy Goodmans we can get.  Living in Wisconsin at this time of political upheaval and manipulation it is heartening to know that the media and information outlets in this state are doing their best to sort out all the politicizing of information going on;    and that we may be able to look forward to the closest thing to a "fair election" in the month ahead.