Jacob Riis and his exposé of New York’s City’s impoverished residents:
An analysis of Riis’s ability to shed light where it was most needed: tenement housing
By Mary Yost
I wrote this research paper for my “Media History: Media Today” class in Spring 2010. I was interested in how photojournalists shed light on social issues and decided to study Jacob Riis, a muckraker who exposed the dangers of tenement life through his books and photographs. My research analyzed Riis’ photographic and journalistic tactics, the criticism that accompanied his strategies, and the impact that his approach had on reform and the community’s understanding of life in tenement housing.
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