the activity, especially by newspapers and reporters, of trying to find out unpleasant information about people or organizations in order to make it public(尤指报纸和记者)搜集并揭露丑闻
There was so much muckraking about his family life that he decided not to stand for election.众多媒体大肆搜集报道他的家庭生活,致使他决定不再参加竞选。