I opened the door to this session at approximately 1:30.32 and there were people packed in the aisle all the way up to the podium. Eric Adelson from ESPN The Magazine apparently draws a big crowd wherever he goes. This was probably the best session I have attended all week.
Adelson picked a girl from the audience to use as an interview subject. The girl (coincidentally named Lauren) was seated in front of the room where Adelson proceeded to walk the audience through an interview step-by-step. To come up with good questions to ask the subject, a reporter should first contact the subject's best friend, mother, roommate, teammate, etc. and collect stories, anecdotes and background. Then, the subject can be asked to comment on those stories, giving you more background and a deeper profile.
Adelson said a profile should be a roadmap of a person's life. Questions should be used as "monkey bars," one leading to another. Making a subject comfortable is key -- if someone is not comfortable, they won't talk to you. And finally, ending the interview with the question: "Is there anything else you want to add?" is also important because Adelson said that is where you will get your best quotes.
-- Lauren Sciba
-- Lauren Sciba
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