Jamil Smith (journalist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jamil Smith
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Smith in January 2020
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| Born | September 23, 1975 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of Pennsylvania |
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| Years active | 2002–present |
| Employer | Los Angeles Times |
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Notable credit(s)
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| Awards | Sports Emmy Awards (2006, 2009 and 2010) |
Jamil Smith (born September 23, 1975) is an American journalist who works in both print and television. He writes and talks about many important topics like race, gender, national politics, and pop culture. In November 2023, he became the editor-in-chief of The Emancipator. Before that, he was an essayist for the Los Angeles Times.
Jamil Smith has also worked as a senior editor at The New Republic, a senior national correspondent at MTV News, a senior writer for Rolling Stone magazine, and a senior correspondent at Vox. He has won three Sports Emmy Awards for his work as a television segment producer for NFL Films. He also produced shows like The Rachel Maddow Show and Melissa Harris-Perry.
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Early Life and Education
Jamil Smith was born on September 23, 1975, in Cleveland, Ohio. He went to Hawken School until eighth grade. Then, he graduated from Shaker Heights High School in 1993. While in high school, Jamil wrote for the student newspaper, The Shakerite, for four years. He also played on the wrestling and track teams. He was part of a program where older students helped younger students with their studies.
After high school, Smith attended the University of Pennsylvania. He earned a bachelor's degree in English in 1997. During college, he wrote for the campus newspaper, The Daily Pennsylvanian. He also spent some time studying abroad at King's College London in England.
Career in Journalism
Jamil Smith started his career in television and film production in 2002. He first worked as a production assistant for CNN. Later, he moved to HBO Sports and then NFL Films. At NFL Films, he was part of teams that won three Sports Emmys. Two of these awards were for Inside the NFL, and one was for the Cincinnati Bengals episode of the Hard Knocks series. In 2010, Smith joined MSNBC as a producer for The Rachel Maddow Show and Melissa Harris-Perry.
As a journalist, Smith is known for his work on many important topics. These include race, racism, police actions, feminism, and national politics.
Working at The New Republic
In January 2015, Jamil Smith joined The New Republic magazine as a senior editor. He covered topics like race, politics, and gender. He helped the magazine move into a new era. While there, he also started and hosted the magazine's first podcast, called Intersection.
Reporting for MTV News
In 2016, Smith became a senior national correspondent for MTV News. He joined a group of new writers and editors as MTV News expanded its programs. He appeared on MTV shows, including co-hosting a town hall meeting called "What Now." This meeting discussed important events that happened in July 2016.
At MTV, Smith also hosted The Racket, a YouTube series about politics, especially the US Presidential campaign. He also appeared on The Stakes, an MTV News podcast.
Writing for Time and Rolling Stone
After some changes at MTV News in 2017, Smith became a freelance writer. He wrote for many publications. One of his most famous works was "The Revolutionary Power of Black Panther." This was the cover story for Time magazine in February 2018. It was the first Marvel Cinematic Universe film to be featured on Time's cover. In his article, Smith explained that the movie was important because it showed that stories about Black lives could be very successful with all audiences.
In March 2018, Smith joined Rolling Stone as a senior writer. He wrote regular columns and interviewed many important people. These included U.S. Senator Kamala Harris and Congressman John Lewis. In September 2022, Smith became an essayist for the Los Angeles Times.
Awards and Recognitions
Jamil Smith has received several awards for his work.
- In 2006 and 2009, he was part of the teams at NFL Films that won the Outstanding Studio Show – Weekly Sports Emmy for Inside the NFL.
- In 2010, he won another Sports Emmy for Outstanding Edited Sports Series/Anthology for Hard Knocks: Training Camp With The Cincinnati Bengals.
In May 2019, Smith received the Arts Reporting award from the Deadline Club. This award was for his Time magazine cover story on Black Panther. The judges praised his unique way of writing and how he connected the film to current and past political ideas.
Personal Life
In 2017, Jamil Smith moved from Brooklyn, New York, to Los Angeles, California.
See also
- Rachel Maddow
- Melissa Harris-Perry
- Chris Hayes
- Gene Demby
- Joy-Ann Reid
- Larry Wilmore
