Upton Sinclair, Ida Tarbell and Frank Norris were amont the first journalists to publicize immoral, corrupt practices of large industries during the Progressive Era.
Upton Sinclair was an American writer who won the Pulitzer Prize. In 1904, Fred Warren, editor of the socialist newspaper Appeal to Reason, commissioned him a report on the bad practices of the food industry that would become the novel The Jungle, an unprecedented sales success and a huge international commotion. As a consequence, President Theodore Roosevelt received the author in the White House and put in place laws to ensure the quality of food for human consumption.
Ida Tarbell was an American professor, writer and journalist, considered one of the main "muckrakers" of the Progressive Era. She is known for her research on John D. Rockefeller and the Standard Oil Company; her investigations exposed the unfair monopolistic practices carried out by the company until the Supreme Court decided to dissolve the monopoly.
Frank Norris was an American correspondent and novelist. Between 1895 and 1896, he worked as a correspondent in South Africa. Between 1896 and 1897, he was assistant editor of the San Francisco Wave. During the Spanish-American War, Norris was a correspondent in Cuba for McClure's magazine, being critical of American interventionist policies in the war.
The correct answer is A. They were among the first to publicize immoral, corrupt practices of large industries.
Explanation:
Upton Sinclair was a writer and journalist mainly known for his novel "The Jungle" that denounced the sanitary conditions in the industry, especially the conditions in the industry of slaughtering and distributing the meat of animals by the beginning of the 20th century. On the other hand, Ida Tarbell who was also a journalist during the Progressive Era wrote multiple articles and a book that focused on the Industry of Oil and criticized the corruption in this industry including tariffs and labor practices. Finally, Frank Norris who also lived during the Progressive Era and was a journalist focused on writing about the corruption of corporate monopolies (industries that won a specific service or product in an area) and the way these caused negative consequences on the general population.
This means, all of them (Upton Sinclair, Ida Tarbell, and Frank Norris) were journalists that focus on denouncing the negative aspects of different industries (meat industry, oil industry and monopolies) including the corruption and immoral practices in them, which was not common during this historical period. Thus, the best statement that describes these three journalists and writers is that "They were among the first to publicize immoral, corrupt practices of large industries".