COMBINING PROFITABILITY WITH A MISSIONARY TRADITION, THE INTERNATIONALISATION OF BAYARD PRESSE (1969-2021)

Abstract

The majority of global historians perceive the most recent stage of globalisation as a phenomenon that is primarily driven by economic or technological forces. The religious dimension is frequently overlooked or its importance is downplayed. This article seeks to present a more nuanced account of this narrative by examining the case of Bayard Presse, a press and publishing group that has been owned since 1889 by a transnational religious congregation, the Augustinians of the Assumption. By cross-referencing company and shareholder archives with oral testimonies, we assess the relative influence of two driving forces behind the company’s international strategy. One is the pursuit of profitability and the other is the missionary tradition. This study covers a period of 52 years, from 1969 to 2021, during with the process of globalisation of media accelerated. The international expansion of the Bayard Presse group was primarily motivated by economic considerations, but it was also driven by a missionary ideal. This was subsequently reformulated, using the term of “inculturation” in the years following the Second Vatican Council. Some international investments were made despite their lack of profitability, as they were driven by a religious ethos. The perspectives of the lay managers and religious shareholders of Bayard Presse differed but they shared a common ideal of making liberal globalisation more humane. They also demonstrated a certain pragmatism in their approach to the practical details of internationalisation.