Muckraking In The Cove

People like Ida Tarbell, Upton Sinclair, John Muir and Carrie Chapman Catt are all considered progressives and muckrakers because they exposed the injustice, corruption, and unfairness of business corporations and the government. Their success is measured by the reform that occurred as a result of their journalism. While not all muckrakers in the progressive era created a reform muckrakers sought out various ways to get the truth, even if it meant putting themselves in danger to get the scope such as muckraker Nellie Bly. Louis Psihoyos’ documentary, The Cove (2009) is an example of muckraking because the film has the characteristics of muckraking because it exposes the wrongdoings of fishermen and the government and appeals to pathos to explain

The reactions were astounding because none of them knew what was going on and most of them disapproved of what the fishermen were doing. Not even the Japanese doctor knew that people were eating dangerous amounts of mercury because of the false advertisement of the meat. The ending scene where the Cove water is shown bloody red, had the greatest effect on most people because the scene was terrifying and wrong. Lastly, Psihoyos is seen as a muckraker because he sought to lower the number of dolphins being slaughtered each year in Taiji and hoped one day the slaughtering would stop completely. In an interview, Psihoyos states “I wish I could say that you make a movie, and the world changes the next day. But it takes a while for culture to catch up” (Cronin). His film did have an effect on America and Americans that countries no longer buy dolphins from Taiji, the once largest dolphin distributor in the world to help lower the number of dolphins slaughtered each year (Psihoyos). Psihoyos and the team had a hard time creating a reform in Japan because the government censored the movie for so many years that barely recently it was allowed to be seen. Psihoyos has made progress and gained supporters through his activist, non-profit group, Oceanic Preservation Society which he is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of (“Home”). The non-profit focuses on saving endangered ocean wildlife, including the dolphin therefore, Psihoyos is continuing to muckrake for dolphins until the number of slaughtered dolphins each year is close to