The Oprah Winfrey Network and NowThis are partnering ahead of the election to create videos based on issues that matter most to Black women, TheWrap can exclusively announce.
OWN will distribute the 12 co-branded videos, as will NowThis, which is the leading youth-oriented news publisher. According to Nielsen data, it reaches nearly 70% of all Americans in their 20s and has attracted a total monthly American audience of 120 million. (Discovery, Inc., which owns OWN, is the largest investor in Group Nine Media, home to NowThis.)
The partnership strengthens OWN’s new registration and get-out-the-vote effort called “Own Your Vote.” The network has been partnering with national and local grassroots and voting rights organizations on the bipartisan project, aiming to provide resources that will empower Black women to vote.
“NowThis and OWN’s shared commitment to elevating underrepresented stories and fostering civic engagement make us ideal partners for bringing these stories to the largest and most engaged audience possible,” said NowThis’ Chief Content Officer Tina Exarhos Friday, National Black Voter Day.
“During this election cycle, we are hearing from our audience about the urgent need to address policy reform, and to create balance to the disparities that exist regarding affordable healthcare, the disproportionate negative impact of policy on Black communities, systemic racism, and racial discrimination,” said Jennifer Giddens, head of marketing at OWN. “We are proud to partner with NowThis to create a content series that not only showcases the impact Black women have when we own our voice and actions, but now, more than ever, empowers Black women to own their vote to fight for some of the most important issues in America today.”
Stories featured in the videos will highlight issues uniquely impacting the Black community, like obstacles to voting associated with the coronavirus, mail-in ballots, voter suppression, transportation and changing protocols and poll locations. They’ll also connect the everyday issues critical to Black women to the issues appearing on the balloon top of collaborating with the voting rights partnership community to support mail-in voting, voter registration, volunteerism, transportation, and safety procedures.
Watch the first video exclusively on TheWrap, above.