In the “Saudi Arabia” episode of Patriot Act, host Hassan Minaj clarifies the coverage of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Using humor and his own personal background as Muslim, Minaj is able to simplify the coverage surrounding this event for a broader audience. This is an excellent example of what Stuart Hall describes as the “encoding/decoding process”. Through Minaj’s knowledge of this topic and through his background as Muslim, he is able to comment not only the events, but also how they’re broadcasted on the news. He notes the convenient blind eye that many politicians have- where they tend to pick and choose which atrocities deserve their attention. For example, when considering how to address this issue, their can be little doubt that the Saudi Crown Prince’s relations with the western world came into play.
Muhammad Bin Salman’s (or MBS) previous praise from the West as a result of him lifting the ban against women driving no doubt came into play. Previous favoritism from the west and money seem to play a large role in the encoding and decoding process for many politicians. As a result of the money and influence the Saudi royal family wields, they have enough power to change the encoding process for many people in power.
This was a process which, until the recent murder of Jamal Khashoggi, remained unchanged. Salman’s previous willingness to embrace parts of western culture was granting a free pass for any other atrocities committed. Now that the Saudi Arabian monarchy has finally admitted that they did kill Khashoggi, there has been little in the way of ramifications. Despite newfound media criticism, the power that MBS holds has managed to steer away the consequences. This shows that the money and resources in Saudi Arabia are enough to influence government action around the world. The power that the Saudi Arabians hold was enough to change the encoding process of people in power.
The show Patriot Act is able to simplify this sort of coverage for broader audiences through the use of humor. Through the lighthearted exchanges that Minaj provides, he is able to open the minds of his audience and make a larger statement. His background as Muslim grants him authority from the perspective of western audiences. This combination allows for Minaj to make political statements to more receptive audiences as a means to spread awareness.