PRNewser Interview: Lauren Starke, Communications Manager, New York Media

Continuing in our weekly series of interviewing movers and shakers in the PR and media worlds, this week PRNewser caught up with Lauren Starke, communications manager at New York Media, parent company of the weekly New York magazine, the website nymag.com, and the twice-yearly publications New York Weddings and New York Look. Want to throw your name into the hat for an upcoming interview? Of course you do. Drop us a line at prnewser at mediabistro.com. And now, on with Mrs. Starke.

What time did you wake up this morning?
6:30 AM

Coffee, tea, both or neither?
Both, but I’m particularly fond of my morning coffee.

How many press calls to you field in an average day?
20

We read that you went to BU. Red Sox or Yankees?
Yankees. My husband is from Massachusetts and a Red Sox fan, so we have a divided household.

Best part about working for a magazine?
The people I work with are incredibly smart and talented and passionate about what they do. I’m fortunate to have experts on everything from food to film to politics to fashion within shouting distance and am continually amazed by the magazine and website they produce. I feel like I’m promoting something of real value.

Worst part about working for a magazine?
The pace of a weekly magazine and website that updates several times an hour is the biggest challenge.

What blogs are on your daily reading list?
Gawker, Romenesko, TMZ, Portfolio.com’s Mixed Media, Gothamist, Deadline Hollywood Daily, Foreign Policy’s Passport blog, Jezebel, and The New York Times’ City Room and The Caucus are some of the blogs I hit on a daily basis. I always read mediabistro’s news feed and of course nymag.com’s Daily Intel, Vulture, and Grub Street. Just for fun I check in on the Lolcats.

Which New York mag writer would you say garners the most press calls?
Probably our contributing editor and “City Politic” columnist Chris Smith. The way that the presidential election has shaped up Chris’s expertise on Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani is sought after. He’s great on TV and generous with his time.

In the past few months, New York has hosted parties for the launch of the Look Book and the new fashion mag Look. Are you working on any other similar events?
We’re planning to throw our third annual Oscar viewing party at the Spotted Pig in February. We try to bring together an eclectic and fun mix of New Yorkers -from all different fields- to watch the Oscars in a laidback setting.

What are some of the most important things a PR person should think about when planning such events?
It’s a cliche but timing is everything, from knowing what other events are happening the same night as yours to letting the press you want to cover know about the event far enough in advance. Never underestimate the value of having celebrities on board and be sure you have realistic expectations of the press value of your event.

On a similar note, what’s your game plan when dealing with sites like Gawker?
We like to keep sites that cover the media, including Gawker, abreast of what we’re doing. Generally we invite them to cover events where we’re having other press. Gawker rakes us over the coals sometimes but I think it keeps everyone honest.

Speaking of Gawker, that cover story seems to be one of the more popular, if not the most popular stories of the last year. Was there anything different you did for that issue, before or after the publish date?
The Gawker story was certainly popular among media watchers. We were wary of having the story leak out and having people writing about it before it was up online when everyone could read it for themselves, so we didn’t distribute advance copies like we sometimes do.

What’s your take on the recent fuss about the four page cover wrap advertisement for the New Museum?
I think the wrap was a beautiful, unique and effective promotion that was well within ASME guidelines, so I’m not sure why any of our partners on this told reporters that it might be a violation. But as a press person myself, I know that sometimes the best way to generate attention for a project is to try to fly the controversy flag.

Google is:
an indispensable tool.

How many PR related emails do you receive each day?
Over 100.

Who has influenced you most in your career?
Nora Haynes (now the director of public relations for Alpha Media) really got me interested in PR. I worked with a lot of great people at GQ and have learned so much from Serena Torrey here at NYM.

What can we expect in 2008 from New York magazine?
2008 marks the magazine’s 40th anniversary so you can expect celebrations both within and outside the pages of the magazine. Nymag.com will continue to grow and add new features.

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