This article examines the principles of presenting military information as embodied in the reports by one of the first French war correspondents, F.J. de Bazancourt. The relevance of this work stems from the rapid development of modern war journalism and the need to understand its fundamental objectives, functions, and professional ethics. F.J. de Bazancourt served in the combat zone near Sevastopol in 1855 as an official correspondent for the French government. While covering the fighting, he sometimes resorted to suppressing information and "editing" reality. The analysis shows that this was done in accordance with a complex set of considerations, the logic of which is subordinated to a number of factors determined by historical reality, collective consciousness, censorship policies, and the author's individual qualities and attitudes.Key words: war journalism, war reporting, Crimean War, defense of Sevastopol, Baron de Bazancourt.