Dear Patriots,

Happy (early) Halloween! Hope you all find the time to celebrate, whether you are assembling a costume last minute for a party or staying in and watching Halloween-themed movies.

If you’ve been following the news, you’ve probably heard about Jamal Khashoggi, the Washington Post opinion writer who was murdered in the Saudi consulate several weeks ago. Khashoggi was a longtime journalist and outspoken critic of the Saudi government.

His last article, which was published posthumously by the Washington Post, is titled “What the Arab world needs most is free expression.” It unfortunately is a reminder of what Khashoggi stood and died for.

In the article, Khashoggi called for a more modernized media that would inform citizens and be a platform for Arab voices.

“[Arabs] are unable to adequately address, much less publicly discuss, matters that affect the region and their day-to-day lives,” Khashoggi wrote. “A state-run narrative dominates the public psyche, and while many do not believe it, a large majority of the population falls victim to this false narrative.”

Being an Arab-American aspiring to work in media, I share the same hope as Khashoggi. May his work not be forgotten, and may he rest in peace.

As always, if you have any questions, comments or concerns, email us at masonfourthestate@gmu.edu.

Sincerely,

Basma Humadi

Managing Editor