Abstract

This article examines the origin and development of the concept of market censorship, ambiguities implicit in the concept and resistances to its use. It draws on historical examples to show that free expression is always subject to some regulation, and contends that, under neoliberalism, market censorship increasingly influences what and how we know. It identifies some critical communication perspectives that provide resources for developing a theory of market censorship, surveys the ways the term has been used during its relatively short history, and offers tentative conclusions that highlight both the value and limits of the concept.

Keywords: self-censorship, neoliberalism, liberalism, market fundamentalism, market censorship, enlightenment

How to Cite:

Jansen, S., (2017) “Ambiguities and Imperatives of Market Censorship: The Brief History of a Critical Concept”, Westminster Papers in Communication and Culture 7(2), 12-30. doi: https://doi.org/10.16997/wpcc.141