"Every journalist owes tribute to the evil one"

Jean de La Fontaine’s assertion that "Every journalist owes tribute to the evil one" carries a provocative critique of the journalistic enterprise and its ethical perils. Journalists, as purveyors of news and storytellers, constantly navigate a landscape shadowed by moral ambiguities. The "evil one" referenced by La Fontaine is not merely a literal devil, but a symbol of temptation, corruption, and the darker impulses that threaten even the honest seeker of truth. Journalism, by its nature, often demands engagement with human failings, scandals, disasters, betrayals, and suffering become the bread and butter of news. The public’s appetite for sensationalism can pressure a journalist to exploit such subjects, treading morally fraught pathways.

Paying "tribute" suggests a compulsory or habitual act: no matter how virtuous their intentions, journalists find themselves bargaining with forces that undermine complete integrity. This tribute may take various forms, sacrificing objectivity for a riveting headline, courting spectacle over substance, or yielding to the manipulations of power and ideology. Even the most diligent reporter may embellish facts, sharpen conflict, or prioritize stories that confirm societal prejudices, curating narratives that sell rather than uplift. In doing so, some part of their craft pays homage to deceit, distortion, or exploitation.

La Fontaine’s pithy observation captures the inescapable entanglement of journalism with human weakness. Still, he implies neither condemnation nor dismissal; instead, he invites reflection on the price of practicing the craft. The ideal of pure, untainted reporting remains elusive. Journalists move between the sacred duty to inform and educate and the inescapable shadows of compromise, fueled by deadlines, institutional pressures, or audience expectations. The tribute owed to the "evil one" thus stands as a persistent reminder of the vigilance, humility, and self-awareness required to practice journalism responsibly while striving to resist, as much as humanly possible, the temptations that lie in wait.