HBO and VICE Partner for News Magazine Show, International Stories Expected

While a lot of VICE Magazine's print content demeans people regularly, historically their video content has humanized those living in marginalized groups of society in ways other big media doesn't even begin to approach.

By Jorge Rivas May 10, 2012

HBO is partnering with the snark-fueled culture and fashion magazine VICE on a news magazine show to be hosted by VICE founder Shane Smith. The weekly series will be executive produced by Smith, Bill Maher and CNN’s Fareed Zakaria serving as consultant. Simply titled "VICE," the new HBO series will showcase a mix of stories from around the globe. Among the segments in production for possible inclusion in the show are: Taliban child suicide bombers; North Korean slave labor camps; New York’s underground voodoo heroin clinics; Somalian pirates; and Satanic dentists in the Pacific Northwest. While a lot of VICE Magazine’s print content demeans people regularly, a handful of their international videos have positively portrayed marginalized groups of society in ways other big media doesn’t even begin to approach. It’s either a hit or a really big miss though so we’ll proceed with caution but with a name like Zakaria attached (he’s the host of CNN’s international affairs program GPS) there’s high hopes here. But still, proceed with caution. People like ‘Girls’ story editor [Lesley Arfin who said defecating is ‘taking Obama to the White House’](https://colorlines.com/archives/2012/04/lesly_arfin_lead_writer_of_hbos_girls_referred_to_defecating_as_taking_obama_to_the_white_house.html) have been employed by VICE.