Stuart Hall’s Encoding/Decoding Model and CNN’s Report on the Lekki Toll Gate Shooting

 On October 20, 2020, the world’s attention turned to Nigeria as peaceful #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos were met with live ammunition fired by military forces. The event, captured on phones and livestreams, sparked outrage and disbelief. Months later, CNN released an investigative report titled “How a Bloody Night of Bullets Quashed a Young Protest Movement”, a detailed video account examining what happened, who was responsible, and how state violence crushed a youthful, hopeful civil uprising.

To understand the complex power dynamics of how this message is constructed, transmitted, and interpreted, we can apply Stuart Hall’s Encoding/Decoding Model, a foundational theory in cultural studies. Hall argued that media messages are not simply passively absorbed by audiences. Instead, every message is “encoded” with certain meanings by the creators—shaped by institutional, political, and ideological frameworks—and then “decoded” by audiences who interpret the message based on their own social positions, experiences, and contexts. Hall identified three decoding positions: dominant-hegemonic, negotiated, and oppositional readings. CNN’s video report, in this context, becomes a rich example of how global media attempts to frame political violence and how different audiences might interpret that framing in dramatically different ways.

Encoding: Constructing a Narrative of State Violence

CNN’s video report is constructed with the rigor and polish of international investigative journalism. It uses geolocation data, timestamped videos, eyewitness interviews, and even bullet analysis to build its case. The narrative centers around a few key encoded messages: that the Nigerian military opened fire on unarmed protesters; that there was an attempted cover-up by the government; and that young Nigerians who demanded justice were violently silenced.

These messages are encoded through both visual and verbal language. The imagery of peaceful protesters waving flags and singing the national anthem is juxtaposed with the sound of gunfire and visuals of chaos, fear, and blood. The report includes interviews with victims and family members, as well as close analyses of shell casings and ballistics. This encoding is deliberate—it positions the protest movement as legitimate, the victims as innocent, and the Nigerian state as oppressive and violent.

CNN, as a Western media outlet, also encodes this story within a global narrative about youth-led movements, authoritarian crackdowns, and human rights. This encoding appeals to international audiences who are more likely to view such events through the lens of universal rights and liberal democracy. The choice of language—terms like “massacre,” “cover-up,” and “state brutality”—are emotionally and politically loaded, designed to evoke outrage and moral clarity.

Decoding: Different Ways Audiences Might Receive the Message

While CNN’s encoded meaning might seem clear, Hall reminds us that decoding is not guaranteed to match encoding. Audiences are not blank slates—they interpret media through their own lenses, influenced by their politics, geography, identity, and lived experiences.

Dominant-Hegemonic Reading

For many international viewers—especially those in liberal democracies—the dominant-hegemonic reading may align closely with CNN’s encoding. These viewers accept the message as intended: that this was an unprovoked attack on peaceful protesters, an egregious abuse of power, and a sign of a broader crisis in Nigerian governance. For members of the Nigerian diaspora who rely on global media for information and advocacy, this reading can feel affirming and even necessary. It positions their concerns within the realm of global legitimacy and human rights discourse.

Negotiated Reading

A negotiated reading might come from a Nigerian citizen who sympathizes with the protesters but is also aware of the political complexity and media distrust in the country. This viewer might accept CNN’s general conclusions—that violence occurred and protesters were harmed—but question certain elements. They might be skeptical of CNN’s motives, wondering if the Western media is exploiting African tragedy for clicks, or if the narrative oversimplifies a deeply rooted political issue. Others may question the use of anonymous sources or limited perspectives, or feel that CNN’s portrayal lacks historical context about Nigeria’s military or protest culture. In this case, the viewer agrees with the basic outline of the story but critiques or resists aspects of its presentation.

Oppositional Reading

An oppositional reading would likely come from pro-government Nigerians or those who view CNN’s report as an unfair or biased attack on national sovereignty. This decoding rejects CNN’s framing entirely, possibly interpreting the video as fake news, foreign propaganda, or a deliberate attempt to destabilize Nigeria’s image abroad. Some oppositional readers might focus on the perceived lack of trust in local institutions, feeling that international media should not have the authority to “speak for” Nigerians. In this view, the protest might be reframed as dangerous, disruptive, or manipulated by external forces. This is a radically different interpretation than what CNN likely intended, but it underscores Hall’s point: meaning is not fixed.

The Power of the Global Media Gaze

Stuart Hall’s theory helps us see how CNN’s report functions not just as a source of information, but as a battleground of meaning. The video is not neutral—it is shaped by editorial choices, ideological assumptions, and political motivations. At the same time, audiences are not passive. Depending on who is watching, and where they are watching from, the meaning of the Lekki Toll Gate shooting can shift dramatically.

This dynamic also raises deeper questions about whose voices get amplified in global media. While CNN’s investigation brought international attention to the #EndSARS movement, it also centered its own authority. In doing so, it potentially eclipsed local journalists, community organizers, and Nigerian media outlets who had been reporting on the events from the ground, sometimes at great personal risk. This tension—between visibility and representation, between global attention and local control—is an ongoing challenge in how stories from the Global South are told and received 

Conclusion: Decoding as Empowerment

Stuart Hall’s Encoding/Decoding Model invites us to think more critically about media—not just as something we watch, but something we interpret, negotiate, and even resist. CNN’s How a Bloody Night of Bullets Quashed a Young Protest Movement is a powerful and important piece of journalism, but its meaning is never entirely in its own hands. For viewers, especially Nigerians and members of the African diaspora, decoding the report is not just an intellectual exercise—it’s an act of agency. It’s a way of reclaiming the right to interpret, to question, and to speak back.