Rise of Modern Journalism

The progression of the penny press, yellow journalism, and muckraking have all contributed to journalism as we know it today.

The penny press was exactly what it sounds like - a cheap publication, which emerged in the 1830s. These papers only cost a cent to buy versus the typical six cents of other papers, which made news more accessible to the middle class. This type of journalism began with good intentions and did so by broadening the audience that was able to consume news. However, as the penny press papers evolved, the topics covered in them declined in their attempt at refined journalism due to the low cost. These papers relied heavily on advertising and the focus of the papers shifted primarily towards gossip.

This leads us to the extreme sense of gossip writing which is yellow journalism. Essentially, this type of publication entails exaggerated stories published in order to generate higher sales. There is little to no research that goes into this form of "journalism," which translates into unethical work. The result of this trend started in the 1890s is the tabloid news that is present in today's society. The Sun is a great example of a current tabloid that relies on bold and scandalous headlines, much like yellow journalism.

Muckraking journalism was focused on reformation during the Progressive Era, and it primarly exposed institutions and their leader's corrupt ways. This type of journalism was typically published in magazines, one of which was McClure's. Those who took on these exposé pieces were known for digging deep to find the facts, however, they were also noted as those wishing to start a scandal.


We can see the evolution of muckraking in today's investigative journalists, but also in whistleblower's like Julian Assange. These are reporters that are aware of the corrupt inner-workings of the government or large institutions and leaders, and choose to share that knowledge with the public once they have found out all that they can.

I believe that yellow journalism and muckraking are separate entities, which can be seen at their start and is still evident now throughout the modern versions of both. While it is apparent that both bring about scandal, there is a significant difference in the topics and reports. Yellow journalism and tabloids thrive off entertainment news and the sensationalism that will stir up the public; while muckrakers dive deep into unearthing the issues that the public should be aware of. Many find enjoyment within the words brought about in yellow journalism, therefore that type of work will persist. It is imperative that the work of muckrakers continues on, and investigate journalism shines light on the corruption within our world.