AbstractThis article seeks to enrich understanding of the conditions for news‐gathering in the early 18th century by focusing on three of the most frequently referenced sources for reports on parliamentary proceedings: the diplomatic residents Louis‐Frédéric Bonnet and René de Saunière de l'Hermitage, who compiled their despatches of political intelligence in manuscript, and the print journalist Abel Boyer. It will show that although frequently presented together as parallel, and equally reliable, observers of parliament, each one's interpretation and presentation of what he observed could vary according to his professional position, perception of his duties and the audience for which he was writing. In examining some of the characteristics that distinguish each one's work, this essay will raise questions about what constituted parliamentary reporting in this period and what standards of accuracy can be expected from such accounts.