Global Muckraking: 100 Years of Investigative Journalism from Around the World

321 Pages·2014·1.86 MB·English

by  Anya Schiffrin

g
“Global Muckraking should be mandatory
Journalism/History $19.95 u.s.
l reading for any aspiring journalist.”
o
—RobeRt W. McChesney
Crusading journalists from Sinclair Lewis to Bob Woodward and Carl b
Bernstein have played a central role in American politics: checking abuses of power, a
100 years of
revealing corporate misdeeds, and exposing government corruption. Muckraking jour- l
nalism is part and parcel of American democracy. But how many people know about IInnvveessttIgatIve JournalIsm
m
the role that muckraking has played around the world?
ffrroomm around the World
This groundbreaking new book presents the most important examples of world- u
gg ll oo bb aa ll
changing journalism, spanning one hundred years and every continent. Carefully
c
curated by prominent international journalists and historians working in Asia, Africa,
k
Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East, Global Muckraking includes Ken Saro-
r
Wiwa’s defense of the Ogoni people in the Niger Delta; Horacio Verbitsky’s uncovering
a
of the gruesome disappearance of political detainees in Argentina; Gareth Jones’s cov-
k
erage of the Ukraine famine of 1932–33; missionary newspapers’ coverage of Chinese
i
foot binding in the nineteenth century; Dwarkanath Ganguli’s exposé of the British
n
“coolie” trade in nineteenth-century Assam, India; and many others.
g
Edited by the noted author and journalist Anya Schiffrin, Global Muckraking is
a sweeping introduction to international journalism that has galvanized the world’s
mmmm uuuu cccc kkkk rrrr aaaa kkkk iiii nnnn gggg
f I 1
attention. In an era when human rights are in the spotlight and the fate of newspapers r n 0
o v 0
hangs in the balance, here is both a riveting read and a sweeping argument for why the m e y
s e
world needs long-form investigative reporting. a t a
r Ig r
o a s
“Whether in South Africa, the Middle East, China, or Washington, D.C., u t o
n I
v f
investigative journalists have always been a bulwark against abuses d e
of power and the enemies of freedom. In our era of texting and tweeting, t J
h o
Global Muckraking is a thrilling reminder of their profound and often e u

W r
heroic impact. It’s a wonderful book.”
n
o
—BoB HerBert, Distinguished Senior Fellow at Demos and former r a edIted by
l
op-ed columnist for the New York Times ld Is AnyA
m
“Anya Schiffin’s Global Muckraking ought to be titled This Is What Journalism Schiffrin
Looks Like. Well contextualized and introduced by some of our finest edited by
writers today . . . it is a well-timed reminder of what we need much more SA
of if we are to be a healthy society.” cn
h
y
—roBert W. McCHesney, author of Digital Disconnect i
fA
f
r
i
n
www.thenewpress.com
Cover design by Christopher moisan
THE NEW PRESS THE NEW PRESS
Anya Schiffrin is the director of the media and communications pro-
gram at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Af-
fairs. She spent ten years working overseas as a journalist in Europe and
Asia. She is the editor of Bad News: How America’s Business Press Missed
the Story of the Century and a co-editor, with Eamon Kircher-Allen, of
From Cairo to Wall Street: Voices from the Global Spring (both published
by The New Press). She is married and lives in New York City.

G l o b a l
M u c k r a k i n G
100 Years of
Investigative Journalism from
Around the World
Edited by
Anya Schiffrin
Compilation © 2014 by Anya Schiffrin
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, in any form, without written permission from the
publisher.
Requests for permission to reproduce selections from this book should be mailed to:
Permissions Department, The New Press, 120 Wall Street, 31st floor, New York, NY 10005.
Pages 295 through 296 constitute an extension of this copyright page.
Published in the United States by The New Press, New York, 2014
Distributed by Perseus Distribution
library of congress cataloging-in-publication data
Global muckraking : 100 years of investigative journalism from around the world / edited by
Anya Schiffrin.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-1-59558-973-6 (paperback)—ISBN 978-1-59558-993-4 (e-book)
1. Investigative reporting. I. Schiffrin, Anya, 1962– editor of compilation.
PN4781.G57 2014
070.4'3—dc23 2014015614
The New Press publishes books that promote and enrich public discussion and understanding
of the issues vital to our democracy and to a more equitable world. These books are made
possible by the enthusiasm of our readers; the support of a committed group of donors, large
and small; the collaboration of our many partners in the independent media and the not-for-
profit sector; booksellers, who often hand-sell New Press books; librarians; and above all by
our authors.
www.thenewpress.com
Book design and composition by dix!
This book was set in Janson Text LT Std
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
contents
Introduction Anya Schiffrin 1
Labor Abuses
1. E.D. Morel, “The Third Test of Congo State Rule—
Militarism, Murder, Mutilation, and the Traffic
in Arms,” King Leopold’s Rule in Africa.
introduced by adam hochschild. Congo, 1904 17
2. Benjamin Saldaña Rocca, “The Wave of Blood,”
La Sanción. introduced by jordan goodman.
Peru, 1907 22
3. Dwarkanath Ganguli, “Slavery in the British Dominion,”
The Bengalee. introduced by jayeeta sharma.
India, 1886 28
4. Henry Woodd Nevinson, “Part VI—The Islands of
Doom,” Harper’s Monthly Magazine. introduced by
catherine higgs. São Tomé and Príncipe, 1906 33
5. Christian Parenti, “Chocolate’s Bittersweet Economy,”
Fortune. introduced by robert friedman.
West Africa, 2008 40
6. Taufik Ulhadi and Usmandi Andeska, “Analyzing the
Added Value of the Shoe Industry for Workers,”
Media Indonesia. introduced by jeff ballinger.
Indonesia, 1991 45
7. Alan Butterfield and Jim Nelson, “Shocking Report
from El Salvador,” National Enquirer.
introduced by ira arlook. El Salvador, 1999 49
vi ContentS
8. Liu Zhiyi, “Youth and Destiny Spent with Machines—
28 Days Undercover at Foxconn,” Southern Weekend.
introduced by beibei bao. China, 2010 54
9. E. Benjamin Skinner, “The Fishing Industry’s Cruelest Catch,”
Bloomberg Businessweek. introduced by glenn simmons, christina
stringer, and hugh whittaker. New Zealand, 2012 59
Anticolonialism
10. Fidel A. Reyes, “Birds of Prey,” El Renacimiento.
introduced by sheila coronel. Philippines, 1908 67
11. Albert Londres, “The Court of Miracles,” Au Bagne.
introduced by mark lee hunter. French Guiana, 1924 71
12. Nguyeˆ˜n An Ninh, “Is a Revolution Possible?,” La Cloche Fêlée.
introduced by philippe peycam. Vietnam, 1924 77
13. “A Prime Example of British Civilization,” Biplabi.
introduced by madhusree mukerjee. India, 1943 82
Corruption
14. Liu Binyan, People or Monsters? introduced by perry link.
China, 1979 89
15. Pang Jiaoming, “Family Plundering,” Century Weekly.
introduced by vincent weifeng ni. China, 2011 95
16. Janio de Freitas, “The North-South Railway Bid Is a Farce,”
Folha de S. Paulo. introduced by guilherme alpendre
and angela pimenta. Brazil, 1987 101
17. Sheila Coronel, “Erap and Families,” iReport.
introduced by reg chua. Philippines, 2000 104
18. Khadija Ismayilova, “Azerbaijani President’s Family Benefits
from Eurovision Hall Construction,” Radio Free Europe.
introduced by lisa misol. Azerbaijan, 2012 110
oil and Mining
19. Ken Saro-Wiwa, “The Coming War in the Delta,” Sunday Times.
introduced by clifford bob. Nigeria, 1990 117
ContentS vii
20. Carlos Cardoso, “The Tip of the Iceberg:
Who Wants to Kill Albano Silva and Why?,” Metical.
introduced by erika rodrigues. Mozambique, 1999 122
21. Rafael Marques, “The Tale of a Brave Woman,” A Capital.
introduced by lisa misol. Angola, 2005 127
22. Ken Silverstein, “Oil Boom Enriches African Ruler,”
Los Angeles Times. introduced by lisa misol.
Equatorial Guinea, 2003 133
23. Lisa Girion, “Pipeline to Justice?,” Los Angeles Times.
introduced by katie redford. Burma, 2003 140
24. Tatiana Escárraga, “Villages Swallowed by Coal,” El Tiempo.
introduced by aviva chomsky. Colombia, 2013 147
the environment and natural Disasters
25. “Destruction of the City of San Juan Provokes
Unanimous Dismay,” La Prensa.
introduced by ernesto semán. Argentina, 1944 155
26. Qian Gang, “About Myself and My Tangshan,” The Great
China Earthquake. introduced by ying chan. China, 1986 159
27. Liu Jianqiang and Cheng Gong, “Tiger Leaping Gorge
Under Threat,” Southern Weekend.
introduced by robert barnett. China, 2004 164
Food Shortages and Famine
28. Gareth Jones, “The Real Truth About Russia at Last,”
Daily Express. introduced by ray gamache. USSR, 1933 171
29. Ian Stephens, editorial, The Statesman.
introduced by anya schiffrin. India, 1943 177
30. Mike Muller, “Milking the Poor,” The Guardian.
introduced by mike muller. Africa, 1975 180
Military and Police
31. Euclides da Cunha, Os Sertões, or Rebellion in the Backlands.
introduced by leopoldo m. bernucci. Brazil, 1902 189
viii ContentS
32. Benjamin Pogrund, Rand Daily Mail.
introduced by anton harber. South Africa, 1965 194
33. Jacques Pauw, “Bloody Trail of the South African Police,” Vrye
Weekblad. introduced by anton harber. South Africa, 1989 200
34. Horacio Verbitsky, “The Confession,” Página/12.
introduced by ernesto semán. Argentina, 1995 205
35. Patricia Verdugo, Chile, Pinochet, and the Caravan of Death.
introduced by francisca skoknic. Chile, 1989 211
36. Ogen Kevin Aliro, “Uganda: Heroes Turning in Their Graves?,”
The Monitor. introduced by george w. lugalambi.
Uganda, 1998 215
37. Mehmet Baransu, “First He Pulled the Pin,
Then He Handed Over the Grenade,” Taraf.
introduced by andrew finkel. Turkey, 2009 221
38. Alma Guillermoprieto, “Salvadoran Peasants
Describe Mass Killing,” Washington Post.
introduced by mica rosenberg. El Salvador, 1982 229
Rural Life
39. Robin Hyde, “Who Says the Orakei Maoris Must Go?”
and “No More Dancing at Orakei,” New Zealand Observer.
introduced by james hollings. New Zealand, 1937 239
40. Palagummi Sainath, “From Dust Unto Dust,” Hindu Sunday
Magazine. introduced by ananya mukherjee-reed. India, 2000 246
41. Anupam Mishra, “Na Ja Swami Pardesa,” Gandhi Marg.
introduced by rohini nilekani. India, 1993 255
42. Henry Nxumalo, “The Story of Bethal,” Drum.
introduced by anton harber. South Africa, 1952 260
43. Carlos Salinas Maldonado, “A Decimated Chichigalpa Buries
Its Dead,” Confidencial. introduced by silvio waisbord.
Nicaragua, 2013 266
ContentS ix
Women
44. Alicia Little, “Footbinding: Two Sides of the Question,”
Chinese Recorder and Missionary Journal.
introduced by yen-wei miao. China, 1895 271
45. Mae Azango, “Growing Pains: Sande Tradition of Genital
Cutting Threatens Liberian Women’s Health,” Front Page Africa.
introduced by prue clarke. Liberia, 2012 276
46. Nafisa Shah, “Karo Kari: Ritual Killings in the
Name of Honour,” Newsline. introduced by nicole pope.
Pakistan, 1993 280
47. Elisabeth Wynhausen, “Death Exposes Agony of Sex Slaves,”
The Australian. introduced by kathleen maltzahn.
Australia, 2003 286
Acknowledgments 293
Permissions 295
Notes 297
About the Contributors 305