Stepping through the bustling streets of Paris, you’ll find yourself at the doorstep of a curious monument to French satire: Le Canard Enchaîné. The name itself, “The Chained Duck,” might leave you wondering what kind of wild fowl is being kept captive here. But duck, in Parisian slang, is also a word for a newspaper, and Le Canard Enchaîné, in its over 100 years of existence, has certainly been chained to a pursuit: uncovering scandalous secrets about the French government.
Founded in 1915, during the First World War, Le Canard Enchaîné was created to provide news and commentary that was free from the heavy censorship of the time. It quickly gained a reputation for its irreverent humor and biting wit, using a mix of investigative journalism and cartoons to expose the hypocrisy of the French establishment. They didn’t shy away from criticizing any political party. In fact, they gained a reputation for taking on the entire spectrum, regardless of their leanings.
One of the most notorious scandals exposed by Le Canard Enchaîné was the “Plumbers Affair” of 1973. Police officers, disguised as plumbers, were caught attempting to install a listening device in the newspaper’s office. The scandal forced the Minister of the Interior to resign. It was supposed to be a secret operation but Le Canard Enchaîné had already received a tip off from an insider making sure that the officers were caught red-handed. It was just one of many insider stories that brought down powerful individuals in the French government.
Today, Le Canard Enchaîné is still a significant force in French journalism, its enduring popularity a testament to the power of satire and investigative reporting. Although it’s had to take on digital media and the decline in print, it continues to be a source for independent and cutting-edge journalism. The fact that it hasn’t accepted advertisements since its inception has made it a bastion of journalistic independence and ensured that it will continue to bite the hand of power for years to come.