ABSTRACT
The subject of both academic and journalistic attention, Julian Assange has emerged as an emblematic but confrontational figure in digital journalism and as a prominent figure in a group of digital actors who have challenged the status quo of the journalistic field. Boundary disputes prompted by the emergence of digital journalists build on traditional understandings of journalism and rely heavily on normative understandings of what defines journalism. Digital journalists are also framed as less-than-serious in their treatment of information, describing the content of blogs as "cyberwhispers", contrasting the paradigm of facticity at the core of journalistic work. These clashes can be understood through the symbolic constructions of the journalistic field and the discursive construction of boundaries to reinforce journalistic belonging. In a struggle over legitimacy and resources, digital interlopers continue to challenge the boundaries of the journalistic field and assert their journalistic identity in ways that compel scholars to make sense of their digital approaches to journalism.
