Yellow Journalism vs. Muckraking

What is the difference between Yellow Journalism and Muckraking?

Both Yellow Journalism and Muckraking are influenced public opinoins and government legislation created in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Yellow Journalism: journalism that reies on sensationalism and lurid exaggeration to attract readers

The basis of yellow journalism is to over exajerate a news story or use media to influence opinions. If you check back at my previous post on yellow journalism you can get a better understanding if you need a refresher.

But this post is focusing on muckraking.

Muckraking: to search for and expose real or alleged corruption, schandal, or the like, especially in poltics

The difference between yellow journalism and muckraking is the presentation of information.

Yellow journalism is when facts are exagerated and in most cases made the public sway a certain way. Where as muckraking is when you find "drama" conceringing a famous person or the public and showed corruption.

A famous muckraker is Upton Sinclair, the writer of the novel The Jungle. I remember reading this book in high school and not understanding the purpose of it but now knowing what a muckraker is, it makes sense.

This book exposed the meatpacking industry. It showed the American public that not only were the enviornments unsafe for workers but that the meat was also unsafe for the consumer.

This book helped pass the Meat Inspection Act and Pure food and Drug act that helped ensure food is safe for both the consumers and workers.