- Today's Word
Muckraker
[MUHK-ray-ker]
Definition
- (noun) A person, especially a journalist, who investigates and exposes misconduct, corruption, or wrongdoing, particularly by public figures or large organizations. The term often implies a determined effort to uncover and publicize scandalous information.
Example
The persistent muckraker spent months digging through financial records and interviewing sources to expose the corporation’s illegal environmental practices.
Fun Fact
The term “muckraker” was coined by President Theodore Roosevelt in a 1906 speech. He borrowed the term from John Bunyan’s book “Pilgrim’s Progress,” where it referred to a man who was so focused on raking muck that he couldn’t look up to see the celestial crown offered to him. Roosevelt used it to describe journalists who were exposing corruption in government and business, initially as a criticism of their focus on negative aspects of society. However, the term was quickly embraced by these investigative journalists as a badge of honor, and it has since become associated with a proud tradition of exposing wrongdoing in the public interest.
(verb) To coax or persuade someone into doing something through flattery, soft words, or gentle persistent manipulation.
She had wheedled the extension out of her professor so smoothly that he’d agreed before he realized he’d been asked — which was precisely the point.