Answer
Bly wanted to change conditions at an asylum - Bly posed as an asylum patient and wrote an article about her experience, resulting in improvements to health care in New York City.
Bly's family needed money - Bly and her mother opened a carding house to make ends meet.
Bly was disgusted by an article - Bly wrote a strongly worded letter to the newspaper expressing her opinion, which led to her getting a job as a writer.