Purpose 2 Play: The necessary future of journalism
Sex sells. So does violence, corruption, scandal, salaciousness and the real-time crumbling of human character. What was once considered back-page news during the newspaper era has taken over homepages across today’s digital landscape.
But what if this wasn’t the case? What if, instead of floods of stories like “Five reasons Lovie Smith deserved to get fired,” the dominant off-field narrative for the Buccaneers was about charitable actions, such as Vincent Jackson’s children’s book targeted at helping military children cope with deployments, for example? What if growth and positivity were focal points, salaciousness was a disinteresting side story, and human interest pieces were always the main event?
At the website Purpose 2 Play, this utopian-sounding landscape is the reality. It is, quite frankly, the necessary future of online journalism.
The site was created by Kim Constantinesco, a Renaissance woman who cut her online publishing teeth covering the Denver Broncos for Predominantly Orange. After grinding through the perpetual news cycle of trade rumors, draft rumors, draft breakdown, minicamps, preseason, regular season, postseason – wash, rinse repeat – for seven years, she decided to branch out for something new.
“[I] got tired of covering the same kind of stories in the NFL,” Constantinesco told FanSided. She sought a change of taste, driven by a desire to tell the stories that are important, but often unknown.
Constantinesco is not discriminatory when it comes to those narratives, either. The site covers “all sports at all different levels.” Essentially, if there’s a feel-good narrative, Purpose 2 Play will root it out and give it its deserved moment in the sun.
In an interview with Snow Bunny Magazine, Constantinesco expounded on her belief of positive storytelling.
“I believe that my purpose is to very intentionally and authentically entertain and foster human connection through storytelling, by connecting certain dots for readers who might not otherwise connect them in their own worlds. If I can do this all while spreading love, accepting love, and changing the way sports media prioritizes their stories, then I think I’ll have reached my highest good.”
With more than two dozen staff writers across the country, Purpose 2 Play certainly has the manpower and drive to politely bull its way into our collective consciousness.
In a vacuum, this all would be perfect. Constantinesco and her site would tell wonderful narratives about NFLers, surfers and marathoners (and all points in between), and rope us back into the art of great storytelling. And yet, this is just the tip of the iceberg for Purpose 2 Play.
As Purpose 2 Play grew, so too did it evolve. Through her connections with agents, gained from her time covering the NFL, Constantinesco started getting in front of players. And while telling their stories may have been the initial goal, what eventually manifested was a business partnership with Broncos running back T.J. Ward. In March of 2015, Ward’s charity, The T.J. Ward Foundation, and Purpose 2 Play have teamed up to teach at-risk youths how to craft special interest pieces and become sportswriters through the “On Deck” program.
Pleased to announce our partnership w/ @BossWard43. We'll be teaching at-risk youth the art of sports writing! @BroncosOffField #Broncos
— Purpose 2 Play (@Purpose2Play) March 12, 2015
It’s a sublime concept on so many levels. Giving a voice to kids who may have previously been muted. Teaching students how to create stories in a positive light. Ushering the youth of today away from rubbishy muckraking. And allowing those individuals, whose personal stories might seem tragic, to plant gardens with their words.
In effect, Purpose 2 Play is a grassroots movement changing the face of journalism from the ground up. When teaching a class to students in Harlem, New York, Constantinesco connected with esteemed ESPN journalist Jeremy Schaap. Schaap, himself the son of a legendary sportswriter, commented on the merits of On Deck.
“The program is doing a terrific job putting aspiring journalists in position to succeed, teaching the fundamentals of reporting, writing and interviewing. It’s a great concept and it’s been well executed. I was honored to spend some time teaching a class of eager pupils who I hope will make important contributions to society.”
When discussing the latest iteration of her company, Constantinesco is very matter-of-fact: “If [students] can find the right words, then they can tell a story and do good in the world.”
It’s this blunt optimism that the world, especially the world of journalism, needs right now. As we continuously peel back the veil, lines of the important and the trivialized become blurred, and the waters muddied.
And yet, thanks to Purpose 2 Play and more pointedly its On Deck program, there is a positive light knifing through the fog.