Shane Smith (journalist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shane Smith
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Smith in 2014
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| Born | 28 September 1969 |
| Alma mater | Lisgar Collegiate Institute Carleton University |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur, media executive, journalist |
| Known for | Vice Media co-founder |
| Spouse(s) | Tamyka (2009-2021) |
| Children | 3 |
Shane Smith (born 28 September 1969) is a Canadian journalist and a leader in the media world. He is the executive chairman of Vice Media. This is a big international company that runs digital channels, makes TV shows, has a record label, and even publishes books and movies.
Shane Smith was the CEO of Vice from when it started until March 2018. Now, he focuses on creating new content and making important deals to help the company grow.
Contents
Early Life and School
Shane Smith was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, in 1969. He went to Lisgar Collegiate Institute for high school. Later, he studied English literature and political science at Carleton University.
Before starting Vice, Smith went to university in Ottawa. He also played in punk bands and traveled around Eastern Europe. After that, he moved to Montreal.
Building a Media Company
In 1994, Smith joined a magazine in Montreal called Voice. His friend, Gavin McInnes, already worked there. The magazine was about different cultures and was helped by a government program. In 1996, Smith and his friends bought the magazine and renamed it Vice.
A Canadian software millionaire, Richard Szalwinski, later bought the magazine. He moved the company to New York City. The magazine quickly became known for its bold and sometimes controversial content. They even opened a few stores selling clothes. But when the internet bubble burst, the original founders got the Vice brand back. The stores then closed.
VICE first published articles about unique alternative cultures. But in 2006, it started making news content and social commentary across many different types of media. Shane Smith is still an owner of the company.
In 2006, following advice from the company's creative director, VICE Media began making digital videos. This led to a huge growth for VICE. They partnered with companies like Intel in 2010 for "The Creators Project." They also made deals with Viacom, YouTube, and HBO.
In April 2013, VICE started a new TV series called "VICE" with HBO. In this show, Smith and other reporters covered news stories from all over the world. The show's second season won an Emmy Award for being an outstanding informational series. Because the show was so popular, HBO and VICE agreed to make more episodes.
In 2015, VICE teamed up with several other companies. These included Verizon, Rogers Communications, Live Nation, Spotify, and Snapchat. VICE was one of the first partners for Snapchat's "Discover" platform.
Reporting the News
As a journalist, Smith has traveled to many places. These include North Korea, Iran, Afghanistan, and Sudan. He first did this for an online TV series called Vice Guide to Travel in 2006. Smith continues to report for VICE. He appears in online videos and hosts the "VICE" show on HBO.
In 2015, Smith went with US President Barack Obama on his first visit to a federal prison. This was a historic event.
In December 2016, HBO aired "Vice Special Report: A House Divided." This program looked at political problems in the United States during the Obama presidency. The show featured Smith interviewing important US politicians. He spoke with President Obama and others to understand why there was so much disagreement in politics. The program was nominated for an Emmy award.
Working with Other Companies
In 2014, Time Warner considered buying a part of VICE Media. They even thought about letting Vice Media control the programming for HLN, a channel related to CNN. However, the deal did not happen. Instead, VICE Media partnered with A&E Networks. A&E bought a small part of VICE Media for $250 million, which helped VICE Media stay independent.
The next year, A&E's channel H2 was renamed VICELAND. This new channel was for young adults. In February 2016, VICE Media officially launched VICELAND with help from Disney and A&E. Disney later increased its investment in VICE Media.
Shane Smith has also talked about the idea of VICE Media becoming a public company. This means its shares could be bought and sold by anyone.
Personal Life
From 2016, Shane Smith lived in Santa Monica, California. He lived there with his wife, Tamyka, and their three daughters. In 2021, he and his wife Tamyka separated.
Awards and Recognition
Shane Smith's work on the "VICE" show on HBO earned him an Emmy award in 2014. He also won several environmental awards for his reporting on global warming in places like Greenland and Antarctica. He has received other honors, including a Frank Stanton Award for Excellence in Communication. He also won two Peabody awards for being an executive producer on VICE News documentaries.
- 2016: Cannes Lions Media Person of the Year
- 2015: Peabody Award - VICE News segment, "The Islamic State"
- 2015: Peabody Award - VICE News segment, "Last Chance High"
- 2014: Emmy Award for Outstanding Informational Series or Special - VICE on HBO
Images for kids
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Smith in 2014
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Shane Smith of Vice Media during Mobile World Congress 2017
- 2019: The Report (executive producer)
- 2017: The Bad Batch (executive producer)
- 2016: "Vice Special Report: A House Divided" (host, executive producer)
- 2016: Vice Guide to Film (executive producer)
- 2016: Terror (executive producer)
- 2016: Abandoned (executive producer)
- 2016: Cyberwar (executive producer)
- 2016: Dead Set on Life (executive producer)
- 2015: "Contamination Nation" (executive producer)
- 2015: "The Gangs of El Salvador" (executive producer)
- 2014: Shot: The Mick Rock Documentary (executive producer)
- 2014: Fishing Without Nets (executive producer)
- 2013–present: VICE News (TV Series documentary) (executive producer)
- 2013–present: VICE (writer, correspondent, executive producer)
- 2011: The VICE Guide To Everything (correspondent, executive producer)
- 2009: White Lightnin' (screenplay)
- 2007: Heavy Metal In Baghdad (executive producer)
- 2006: VICE Guide to Travel (writer, correspondent, executive producer, director, creator)
