Napolepon to Clarke, Schonbrunn 25th August 1809 (

"You will see that, according to the dispatches of Wellesley, the English General, we lost twenty guns and three flags at Talavera. Inform the king of my surprise, and General Jourdan of my displeasure, that, instead of being told the real state of affairs, I am sent Republican romances, the kind of history they write for schoolboys.".. [he demands more details] ..."Write to General Sebastiani, saying that the king has sent me his report; that it is not the kind of report any soldier should make when giving an account of what has happened and of the present situation; that it seems to me a highly-coloured version; that I should have liked him to say what he really thinks and to give a true and detailed description of the affair; in a word, I ought to be told the truth......."

Which makes it clear that:
a) fake news was endemic in the French army and
b) Napoleon trusted the English dispatches more than those of his own commanders.

Susan