ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the second influencing factor of journalism: the precedents of journalism. Precedents refer to previous incidents that can function as an instigator for future actions among journalists, and incidents range from broad historical developments to more specific examples of coverage that can inform journalists about what might be the proper and improper action in different situations. The chapter opens with a review of some of the most important findings about the historical development of journalism – including autonomy and objectivity, professionalization and institutionalization. After the review, the chapter proceeds to develop a new model. This model attempts to mitigate some of the shortcomings of previous research – not least of which is the need for a more usable model that can become a constitutive feature for future journalistic practice. The basis for this work is the journalistic compass that was introduced in the previous chapter. The model incorporates different principles of journalism, and this chapter describes how the roles inherent in the compass relate to specific forms of journalism – and how these norms and forms of journalism have developed over time.
