The Power of IX dedicated microsite debuts today on espnW.com and will be the digital destination for ESPN’s examination and recognition of the 40th anniversary of Title IX. Today’s launch will feature an exclusive interview by ESPN.com writer Andy Katz speaking with President Obama on the history of Title IX and what it means to him personally as the father of two daughters active in sports.
“Our commitment to female fans AND elevating women’s sports makes espnW.com the natural digital hub for the company’s 40th anniversary of Title IX effort,” said Laura Gentile, vice president, espnW. “We look forward to providing a deep dive on not only what Title IX has meant to a generation of female athletes, but also what it means to our society now and in the future.”
Today’s launch of the dedicated site marks the official kick off for ESPN’s companywide initiative. espnW.com will include perspectives and participation from a number of contributors including Katie Couric, Robin Roberts, Julie Foudy, Bonnie D. Ford, Steve Wulf, Kate Fagan, Sarah Spain, Luke Cyphers, Jane McManus and Jessica Mendoza. For the next three months, espnW.com’s efforts will drive content across multiple platforms with a mix of in-depth feature stories, first-person athlete perspectives, a series of compelling and informative lists of nine and more.
The Power of IX Content Plan for espnW.com:
Feature stories:
- Steve Wulf will start the features section with a story on the history of Title IX and the unsung heroes who helped make it a reality. ABC News’ Katie Couric will provide a personal essay reflecting on the far-ranging impact of this legislation. Additional stories will focus on athletes who helped shape Title IX in its early days including Julie Foudy, Donna de Varona and Lisa Leslie.
Top 40 Athletes of Past 40 Years:
- espnW.com will partner with SportsCenter for a countdown of the top 40 female athletes of the last 40 years beginning April 30, with the top athlete revealed on June 23. espnW.com will provide an in-depth look at these athletes as chosen by an industry-wide blue ribbon panel.
“Title IX is Mine!” Vignettes:
- What does Title IX mean to athletes, executives and industry leaders spanning the generations? These vignettes will provide a platform for women and men to reflect on how it affected their lives.
The Lineup:
- A series of compelling, informative lists of nine that provide dimension to espnW’s coverage including nine sibling rivalries, nine women’s dynasties, nine awesome winning streaks, nine heroes and more.
Social media:
- espnW’s Title IX social media program, launching April 3, will assemble the largest collection of user-submitted female athlete photos of all time. In addition, content will be featured over Facebook.com/espnW and Twitter.com/espnW.
ESPN’s Title IX 40th anniversary initiative will also be supported through content on the following platforms:
Television:
- The week of June 17 will feature content across various studio shows and conclude on June 23 with ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN Classic featuring women’s sports programming throughout the day.
Print:
- This issue of ESPN The Magazine will examine everything from the executives, lawmakers, trainers and athletes who are paving the way for new roles/iconography for women in sports to the groundbreaking research and reporting that are revealing counter-intuitive factors behind Title IX’s success and its limitations when it comes to female athletes.
ESPN Films:
- ESPN Films will present “9 for IX” a series of documentaries in 2013 that will highlight women in sports, all created by female storytellers. Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts and Tribeca Productions co-founder Jane Rosenthal will be executive producers of the series.
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