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Napoleon used his travels for political purposes. Indeed, his journeys were reported in the newspapers, and these remain an important source, though too often neglected because of their political bias. The aim of Napoleon’s press was to influence public opinion thereby to ensure effective control of society. This article re-examines the modalities of this control, focusing simultaneously on the writing standards, rhetorical devices and representations, between April 1808 and October 1809, in the Journal de l’Empire. This newspaper made a concerted effort to maintain links with those figures in power who were most likely to be able to provide journalists with the information they needed to create the news articles, though they also had other sources of information.. The arrival of the emperor was an exceptional event. The place of each person in the context of that arrival was arranged in the report so as to give an ideal and perfectly ordered vision of society, whilst at the same time fleshing out the portrait of a head of state in action.