Emails show Emanuel aides, producers coordinated CNN ‘Chicagoland’ scenes

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Chicago Tribune:

If it seemed as though some scenes of CNN’s documentary series “Chicagoland” were coordinated by Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s City Hall and the show’s producers, that’s because they were.

More than 700 emails reviewed by the Tribune reveal that the production team worked hand in hand with the mayor’s advisers to develop storylines, arrange specific camera shots and review news releases officially announcing the show.

(See email samples)

Producers asked the mayor’s office to help them set up key interactions in what the cable network has billed as a nonscripted eight-part series, including Emanuel’s visits with the school principal who emerged as a star of the show, emails show.

City Hall’s frequent correspondence with the producers illustrates how senior aides to a mayor known for shaping his media image managed how their boss would be portrayed on CNN to a prime time national audience.

The production team for the series, whose final episode aired Thursday night, told Emanuel’s staff that particular scenes would present the mayor in a positive light, with one of the producers expressing a desire to showcase the mayor “as the star that he really is.”

Creator and executive producer Marc Levin made a pitch to the mayor’s office last May as Emanuel’s hand-picked school board was two days away from a vote to close nearly 50 schools.

“This is a real opportunity to highlight the Mayors leadership – his ability to balance the need for reform and fiscal reality with compassion for affected communities and concern for the safety of Chicago’s school children,” Levin wrote of the school closings to Emanuel senior adviser David Spielfogel and two press aides. “We need the mayor on the phone in his SUV, in city hall with key advisers and his kitchen cabinet and meeting with CPS head BBB (Barbara Byrd-Bennett) and with CPD (Superintendent Garry) McCarthy.”

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And this surprises nobody.

I can still remember Candy Crowley intervening in the second debate to pull Obama’s chestnuts out of the fire. There is NO neutral media out there…everybody has joined a side. NBC has become the voice of the Obama administration. Stepawhatshisface at ABC has just signed a new long term contract that will get him through Hillary’s two administrations. He is one of the faces of the Clinton campaign. CBS is still smarting from getting caught in ’04 attempting to use forged documents to push Kerry over the top fifty days out from the election. CNN has long been one of the strong voices for progressive liberalism. And Fox is mostly for the good guys.

It’s the reality.

Recall when the butt kissing, nbc brian Williams interviewed the pres. after his first rigged election? brain bowed so low he kissed his genitals ( pee wee in nature) and butt on the way down, paused and passed them again as he came up.
Lived in Chi for 8 years, daily was so corrupt it stunk. When is son, who now works for the fool got married, the mob bosses brought suit cases. fbi had a field day photographing. Little did daily realize, 20 of the catering staff were federal agents.

If I realized that the ideology I supported had to be lied about in order for it to appear acceptable and successful to the human race, I think I would reconsider believing in that ideology.

But, that’s just me.

This is where the Collective rants about the Faux Noise propaganda machine.