Read the quotation from Lincoln Steffens’s The Shame of the Cities. "My purpose was . . . to see if the shameful facts, spread out in all their shame, would not burn through our civic shamelessness and set fire to American pride." According to Steffens, what was the purpose of muckraking journalism?
Answer
A
to encourage people to rise up against their government
B
to encourage people to take action against widespread corruption
C
to encourage people to buy fewer newspapers
D
to encourage people to become muckraking journalists themselves
Explanation
Steffens wanted to expose shameful facts so they would break through the public’s indifference and awaken civic pride. In other words, muckraking journalism aimed to spur people to act against widespread corruption, not simply to protest government or change their reading habits.
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