WikiLeaks and the Critique of the Political Economy

In his seminal introduction to the field, Vincent Mosco defines the political economy of communication as the “study of the social relations, particularly the power relations that mutually constitute the production, distribution, and consumption of resources, including communication resources” (Mosco, 2009, pp. 2). Terms that have been used for naming this field have been “political economy of communication” (Mosco, 2009), “political economy of communications” (Wasko, 2004; Wasko, Murdock, & Sousa, 2011), “political economy of culture” (Calabrese & Sparks, 2004), “political economy of information” (Garnham, 2011; Mosco & Wasko, 1988), “political economy of mass communication” (Garnham, 1990), or “political economy of the media” (Golding & Murdock, 1997; McChesney, 2008).