The shadows and the spotlight of child phenoms

A photojournalist uncovers the inner workings of the media hype machine

Julian Newman practices before a game.
Lauren Hansen
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(Image credit: (Eve Edelheit/Tampa Bay Times)In 2013, 11-year-old Julian Newman was everywhere. As a starter for his high school varsity basketball team, the diminutive fifth grader first caught the attenti)

(Image credit: (Eve Edelheit/Tampa Bay Times)Edelheit and writer Michael Kruse, who has a background in scouting high school basketball players (he watched LeBron James play as a high school sophomore), tra)

(Image credit: (Eve Edelheit/Tampa Bay Times)The Julian Newman phenomenon started after his father Jamie Newman — who is also his basketball coach — pitched his son's talent to a sports website. The story w)

(Image credit: (Eve Edelheit/Tampa Bay Times))

(Image credit: (Eve Edelheit/Tampa Bay Times)Edelheit's photos for the Tampa Bay Times story delicately reveal the often heartbreaking shadows that can lurk behind the spotlight of child stars — the grind o)

(Image credit: (Eve Edelheit/Tampa Bay Times))

(Image credit: (Eve Edelheit/Tampa Bay Times))

Lauren Hansen
Lauren Hansen

Lauren Hansen produces The Week’s podcasts and videos and edits the photo blog, Captured. She also manages the production of the magazine's iPad app. A graduate of Kenyon College and Northwestern University, she previously worked at the BBC and Frontline. She knows a thing or two about pretty pictures and cute puppies, both of which she tweets about @mylaurenhansen.

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