# Shane Smith

> Shane Smith is the Canadian co-founder of VICE, the Montreal street magazine that grew into a global digital, television, film and advertising business. After serving as CEO until 2018 and watching the company pass through bankruptcy in 2023, he returned to the editorial foreground in 2024 as host of Shane Smith Has Questions, applying VICE's old appetite for immersive, personality-led reporting to a smaller, interview-driven format.

- **Role:** Host of Shane Smith Has Questions at VICE News; co-founder of VICE Media
- **Organizations:** VICE Media, VICE News, Shane Smith Has Questions, HBO
- **From:** Ottawa, Canada
- **Nationality:** Canadian
- **Education:** English literature and political science, Carleton University
- **Known for:** Co-founded and led VICE from a Montreal magazine into an international media, television, film and advertising company., Won a 2014 Emmy as an executive producer of VICE on HBO; the Television Academy lists 11 nominations and one win for Smith., Served as executive producer on VICE News films The Islamic State and Last Chance High, both recognized with Peabody Awards in 2015.

## Career timeline

- **1994** — Joined Suroosh Alvi and Gavin McInnes in building the Montreal publication that became VICE.
- **1999** — VICE moved its base from Montreal to New York as it expanded beyond Canada.
- **2006** — VICE expanded its early online-video work with VBS.tv and The VICE Guide to Travel.
- **2013** — VICE premiered its documentary news series on HBO, with Smith as host and executive producer.
- **2014** — The HBO series VICE won the Emmy for Outstanding Informational Series or Special.
- **2015** — Smith interviewed President Barack Obama during the first visit by a sitting US president to a federal prison.
- **2016** — Cannes Lions named Smith its Media Person of the Year.
- **2017** — VICE reached a reported peak valuation of $5.7 billion after a private investment round.
- **2018** — Smith stepped down as CEO and became executive chairman; Nancy Dubuc succeeded him.
- **2023** — VICE Media filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and arranged a sale to a lender consortium.
- **2024** — Smith returned to the editorial foreground at VICE News and launched the video podcast later titled Shane Smith Has Questions.
- **2026** — Shane Smith Has Questions continued releasing weekly interviews and reported episodes.

## Achievements

- Co-founded and led VICE from a Montreal magazine into an international media, television, film and advertising company.
- Won a 2014 Emmy as an executive producer of VICE on HBO; the Television Academy lists 11 nominations and one win for Smith.
- Served as executive producer on VICE News films The Islamic State and Last Chance High, both recognized with Peabody Awards in 2015.
- Received the Los Angeles Press Club's Public Service Award for Journalistic Contributions to Civic Life in 2015.
- Named Media Person of the Year by Cannes Lions in 2016.
- Interviewed President Barack Obama during the first visit by a sitting US president to a federal prison.

## Latest updates

- **2026-07** — Shane Smith Has Questions released a conversation with political strategist and Bulwark host Tim Miller about partisan media and political identity.
- **2026-03** — The podcast published Smith's interview with Senator Bernie Sanders about artificial intelligence, jobs and concentrated technological power.
- **2025-04** — VICE Media described Shane Smith Has Questions as a newly launched VICE News podcast produced in partnership with Bill Maher's Club Random Studios.
- **2024-10** — The first widely promoted episode of Shane Smith Has Questions premiered on the VICE News YouTube channel.
- **2024-06** — VICE Media and Club Random Studios announced Smith's return as host of a new video podcast focused on disputed political and cultural claims.

## Links

- Website: https://sshq.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanesmithvice
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/shanesmith30
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VICENews
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shanesmithvice/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/viceshane

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/shane-smith
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-26