By cross-examining a large volume of original sources, we investigate the social context in which the Protestant missionary press in China changed its primary orientation from gospel to news. Furthermore, by focusing on the case of the Globe Magazine , we argue that the missionary press provided an important foundation for the rise of the indigenous Chinese press at the end of the 19th century. Protestant missionaries in China invented certain journalistic practices and secularized their publications to appeal to Chinese readers. These innovations were not necessarily in line with mainstream western journalism, but they inspired Chinese editors who later came to model themselves after the language, content and format of the missionary press. The Chinese elite press was receptive to the missionary press model partly because both shared the goal of enlightenment and held business profit in contempt.