Who first popularized the term 'Muckrakers' as a description of investigative journalists?

Who first popularized the term 'Muckrakers' as a description of investigative journalists?

• A. Theodore Roosevelt
• B. Upton Sinclair
• C. Florence Kelley
• D. Jacob Riis

Answer: (A)

The main idea is how the label muckrakers entered public discourse to describe investigative journalists who exposed corruption and social problems during the Progressive Era. Theodore Roosevelt popularized the term in a 1906 speech, using it to describe reporters who dug up dirt in politics and business. His remark helped the phrase gain widespread use and shaped how the public viewed investigative journalism of that era. The muckrakers—such as Jacob Riis and Upton Sinclair—were the reporters who embodied the approach, but they didn’t coin the term; Roosevelt did.

The main idea is how the label muckrakers entered public discourse to describe investigative journalists who exposed corruption and social problems during the Progressive Era. Theodore Roosevelt popularized the term in a 1906 speech, using it to describe reporters who dug up dirt in politics and business. His remark helped the phrase gain widespread use and shaped how the public viewed investigative journalism of that era. The muckrakers—such as Jacob Riis and Upton Sinclair—were the reporters who embodied the approach, but they didn’t coin the term; Roosevelt did.