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 writes for newspapers and works in television. He is known for writing about important topics like politics, culture, race, and gender. He has worked for many famous news organizations, including Rolling Stone magazine, MTV News, and Vox.
Before becoming a writer, Smith was a television producer for NFL Films. For his work there, he won three Sports Emmy Awards. He also helped produce popular TV shows like The Rachel Maddow Show and Melissa Harris-Perry. In November 2023, he became the editor-in-chief of a news website called The Emancipator.
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Early Life and Education
Jamil Smith was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He went to Shaker Heights High School and graduated in 1993. In high school, he was very active. He wrote for the school newspaper, The Shakerite, for four years. He also joined the wrestling and track teams.
Smith was part of a special program where older Black students with good grades helped younger Black students improve their own grades. This showed his early interest in helping others succeed.
After high school, Smith went to the University of Pennsylvania, a top university. He graduated in 1997 with a degree in English. In college, he continued to write for the student newspaper, The Daily Pennsylvanian. He also spent some time studying in London at King's College London.
Career Journey
From TV Production to Journalism
After college, Smith started his career in television in 2002. He first worked as a production assistant at CNN. Later, he moved to NFL Films, where he was part of the teams that produced award-winning sports shows. He won three Sports Emmy Awards for his work on Inside the NFL and the documentary series Hard Knocks.
In 2010, Smith began working as a producer for MSNBC. He worked on two major political talk shows, The Rachel Maddow Show and Melissa Harris-Perry. This work helped him move into his career as a journalist and commentator.
Writing for Major News Outlets
As a journalist, Smith became known for his thoughtful writing on big issues. He wrote about national politics, race, and gender for different publications.
In 2015, he joined The New Republic magazine as a senior editor. He helped the magazine enter a new era by focusing on modern issues. He also started the magazine's first podcast, called Intersection.
In 2016, Smith was hired as a senior national correspondent for MTV News. He co-hosted a town hall meeting called "What Now" with other personalities like Charlamagne Tha God. The show discussed important events happening in the country. He also hosted a YouTube series about the 2016 presidential election.
Famous Time Magazine Cover Story
In 2018, Smith wrote a very famous cover story for Time magazine about the movie Black Panther. His article was called "The Revolutionary Power of Black Panther." It was the first time a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie was featured on the cover of Time.
In the article, Smith argued that the movie was important for culture. He said it proved that movies about Black characters and stories could be successful with everyone. He wrote that "making movies about black lives is part of showing that they matter."
Recent Work
Smith joined Rolling Stone magazine as a senior writer in March 2018. There, he wrote regular columns and interviewed important political figures like Senator Kamala Harris and Mayor Eric Garcetti.
In 2020, he contributed an essay to a book called Believe Me: How Trusting Women Can Change the World. His essay focused on the importance of listening to women who speak out about their experiences. In September 2022, Smith began writing essays for the Los Angeles Times.
Awards and Recognition
Jamil Smith has received many honors for his work in both television and journalism.
- Sports Emmy Awards: He won three Emmys for his work as a producer on Inside the NFL (2006, 2009) and Hard Knocks (2010).
- The Root 100: He has been named to this list of the most influential Black Americans several times. The list recognized his work at The Rachel Maddow Show (2011), Melissa Harris-Perry (2013), and The New Republic (2015).
- Deadline Club Award: In 2019, he won an award for his Time magazine cover story on Black Panther. The judges praised his fresh and personal way of writing about the movie's importance.
Personal life
In 2017, Smith moved from Brooklyn, New York, to Los Angeles, California, where he currently lives.
See also
- Rachel Maddow
- Melissa Harris-Perry
- Chris Hayes
- Gene Demby
- Joy-Ann Reid
- Larry Wilmore
