Speaking to Media: Patricia Karounos, freelance journalist & managing editor at Elle Gourmet

Next up in our Speaking to Media series is Patricia Karounos, freelance journalist and managing editor at Elle Gourmet. From fashion to film to food, you can count on Patricia to find the latest trends and keep you in the loop. 

What led you to study Journalism at Toronto Metropolitan University?

Growing up, I always loved reading and writing, but I didn’t know what to do with that. I was preoccupied with fiction, but whenever I thought about writing a novel, I imagined brilliant genre writers plotting sprawling fantasy epics years before readers ever got to the end of the series and became overwhelmed. When I got a bit older, I started reading more magazines and online journalism — and not just straight, well-reported news — and realized there were so many more stories to tell across fields like culture, entertainment, fashion, and food and that solid

journalistic skills were foundational to doing so.

Tell our readers a bit about your career path thus far.

While attending TMU, my friend (and a fellow journalist, Erica Ngao!) and I started writing for a student-run general interest magazine called Folio, and when we were both in our third year of school, we took over the masthead. That experience made me fall in love with magazines — I was fascinated by the process of crafting an entire issue from scratch to print (and distribution) and found that working with other writers to make their stories the best they could possibly be even more fulfilling than writing on my own. So, when it came time to apply to internships in my

final year of school, I was eager to land a spot at a magazine. That led me to ELLE Canada because I loved their smart and thoughtful approach to all things beauty, fashion, and culture. I started as a six-week intern and was thrilled to get first-hand experience alongside a number of talented women.

I graduated in 2017 and the luck of timing was on my side: EC was looking for an editorial assistant to start in the new year and I jumped at the opportunity. From there, I spent a lot of time observing and learning, eager to push myself in my writing, my editing, and as a collaborator on the team. In 2019, I was promoted to assistant editor and got the chance to help shape more of our cultural and entertainment coverage. Unfortunately, the Toronto office was shut down in the fall of 2020 because of the pandemic.

I was devastated to no longer be a part of the team, but I also wanted to keep busy, so I jumped right into freelancing. Since then, my work has regularly appeared in outlets like Toronto Life, Refinery29, the Toronto Star, ELLE Canada, Chatelaine, Girlboss, and Fashion, and I am part of the team that helped launch ELLE Gourmet — a gorgeous (in my biased opinion) food magazine — in Canada. My niche is the culture and lifestyle space, so every week is different. One day I may be, say, interviewing the cast of Challengers or writing about Barbie, while the

next, I’m editing a feature cover story or planning the next issue of ELLE Gourmet.

What advice do you have for PR professionals aiming to make their pitches stand out?

Try not to be overly generic. With so much to do in a single day, I understand the need to plan ahead and work from pre-set drafts, but it can be really frustrating when a pitch is obviously sent from a template — like weird typos in the greeting, for example. Pitches should also be as specific as possible, especially when they’re going out to freelancers — is there a specific outlet you’re aiming for coverage in? Why that outlet?

How do you stay ahead of trends, ensuring your content remains engaging across fashion, decor, and travel verticals?

To be honest, I try not to think about this too much. Of course, I’m constantly reading and analyzing what’s new and what’s coming up so it’s fresh in my mind, while also paying attention to what other outlets are doing and what people are responding to online. That said, if I start to worry about how to keep my own work engaging, I know I’ll get really bogged down in it and the end results will suffer. There’s a fine line between wanting to continuously grow (which I always

want to do) and being filled with self-doubt about the quality of the work you’re making. That’s why I also think it’s important to be collaborative — I trust my editors, I trust my co-workers and I trust my fellow freelancing friends to help elevate my work.

With a black belt in karate, do you think discipline in martial arts has helped with your editorial work?

Absolutely. I started practicing karate when I was seven or eight years old, so it’s really been a life-long journey for me. And that’s exactly what martial arts is — it’s not about looking badass, being strong, or being able to fight (although those are all great aspects too). It’s about the way you move through the world. Karate has taught me discipline, focus, confidence, and analytical thought that I apply to all aspects of my life, including editorial work. I think, in particular, it helps

me stay calm and cool during stressful deadlines, or if I’m nervous before a big interview. Generally, practicing martial arts has helped make me a more well-rounded person, which is invaluable.

You’ve enjoyed a career with some incredible highlights (and bylines!) in a highly competitive industry. What has been your favourite story to cover so far?

This is a total cop out, but I don’t know that I can pick a favourite! A recent story that I loved working on, however, recently came out in the May 2024 issue of ELLE Canada. It was tied to the inaugural season of the PWHL (the United Pro Women’s hockey league that launched this year), and the ways in which the athletes are using fashion and pre-game walk-in photos showcasing their outfits to help grow both their personal brands and the league itself. I got to briefly dive into the longstanding connection between sports and fashion, and interview three PWHL athletes, including Canadian Olympic gold medalist Sarah Nurse. I love hockey, and it

has been so exciting watching this first season of the PWHL and the buzz around it, and I was thrilled that I got the chance to write about it. I also think it shows how far women’s sports and the media around it has come — I don’t think we would have seen a story like this in a fashion magazine even five years ago, but now it’s a no-brainer. 

I have also loved being part of the launch team of ELLE Gourmet. We published our first issue in 2022, and it has been a real labour of love (and delicious food, naturally) ever since. It’s such an honour to build each issue from the ground up, highlighting Canadian voices and creating luxe, elevated stories that will give people comfort and joy. Food is our universal language, and I feel so lucky that I get to be a small part of that every time someone picks up a copy.

Are there any spring fashion trends you’ve been loving lately?

This might be slightly polarizing, but I’m obsessed with barrel-leg jeans. I love big silhouettes, and think a barrel-leg adds so much more dimension and interest to a basic outfit while still being pretty comfortable to wear.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers looking to break into the industry?

Read — a lot. You will learn more about writing, grammar, flow, and story structure than you will in any classroom (though I’ve also had great teachers and professors who taught me so much)— you’ll be able to internalize what works and what doesn’t work, while honing your own voice. And make sure your reading is varied. Read inside your interests, but read beyond them too so you can expand your knowledge set, and read the publications you hope to write for often so you can understand more about them. Editors can always tell when a writer is familiar with their outlet’s tone and style, and you’ll be starting with a leg up if you can show that you are.

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Want more of our Speaking to Media series? Check out our interview with Barry Choi, freelance columnist at The Globe and Mail.