Which group of journalists exposed unsafe conditions and corruption to push for reform?

• A. Muckrakers
• B. NAACP
• C. National Markets
• D. Militarism

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is investigative journalism that aims to expose social ills to spur reform. Muckrakers were reporters in the Progressive Era who dug into unsafe factory conditions, corrupt business practices, and political corruption, and published their findings in magazines and books. Their revealing stories prompted public outrage and pushed lawmakers to adopt reforms, such as meatpacking safety and food purity laws, and antitrust actions. Examples like Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, Ida Tarbell’s investigation of Standard Oil, and Lincoln Steffens’s portraits of city corruption illustrate this approach.

The other groups don’t fit because they aren’t known for this kind of investigative journalism aimed at driving reform: the NAACP is a civil rights advocacy organization, militarism is a political ideology about military power, and National Markets isn’t a recognized group of journalists.