The use of information by the powerful and privileged as a means to reinforce, even exacerbate, the structures of the ‘digital divide’ is well documented. In our view, however, insufficient attention has been devoted to examining the evolving forms, practices and epistemologies of online journalism in this context, especially with regard to its potential for shaping democratic deliberation and debate across what are ever more globalised public spheres. At stake for this article’s discussion, then, is the need to help establish the basis for a critical mode of enquiry into the ways in which journalism’s status in an online environment is being transformed by the informational dynamics of the network society.