Ida Tarbell's "fix" referred to her investigative journalism that exposed the unethical practices of the Standard Oil Company, led by John D. Rockefeller. Through meticulous research and reporting, she revealed the monopolistic tactics used by Standard Oil to eliminate competition and manipulate markets. Her work played a significant role in raising public awareness about corporate corruption and contributed to the eventual breakup of Standard Oil in 1911, shaping the landscape of antitrust laws in the United States. Tarbell's efforts exemplified the power of journalism in holding powerful entities accountable.
most books written by muckrakers were just used to expose the injustices, sure they included ways to reform but they didn't actually believe people would follow that example, like the jungle or Ida tarbells exposure of standard oil, so i would assume their primary function would be to make the public aware of social problems