Working the Rahm Story: Reporters live for days like this

img_5828_e1536176683162.jpg

On Sept. 4, 2018, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel surprised the city by announcing he was moving on after his second term ends in 2019. | Rahul Parikh/Sun-Times

“Working the Story” is a video feature of the Chicago Sun-Times that explores how our reporters do their jobs.

When Rahm Emanuel announced he would not be running for re-election, it was a scramble in the Sun-Times newsroom to cover the story.

The timing was tough.

Our veteran City Hall reporter, Fran Spielman, was out of the country. So her beat now belonged to every reporter and editor on staff.

Columnist Mary Mitchell sits down with Sun-Times political reporters Mark Brown and Tina Sfondeles to talk about those first few hours after hearing the news that the mayor would be making this term his last.

The news conference no one expected

RELATED

Emanuel insists to-do list is full, but mayoral (and prez) runs aren’t on it

Was Rahm Emanuel too cocky for Chicago?

Surveying the political landscape after Rahm drove a bulldozer through it

‘Rahm-Shell’

Mary continued the conversation with Editor-in-Chief Chris Fusco, who explained how the entire Sun-Times team pulled all of the angles together online and for the next day’s paper.

18_wts_logosq.jpg

We invite you to watch other segments of “Working the Story” from the Chicago Sun-Times

•Episode #1: Working the Story: The Donald and Dina Markham mystery

•Episode #2: Working the Story: What it’s been like covering Loyola Ramblers, Sister Jean

•Episode #3: Working the Story: ‘It’s hard to grasp the impact he had on a nation’

•Episode #4: Working the Story: How the Sun-Times got the scoop on ‘Dirty Schools’

•Episode #5: Working the Story: Who goes to a Trump rally? We drove to Indiana to find out

•Episode #6: Working the Story: ‘Everyone did something to make history

The Latest
Deputy Sean Grayson has been fired and charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Massey, who had called 911 to report a possible prowler. He has pleaded not guilty. The family says the Department of Justice is investigating.
Here’s how Kamala Harris and the Democratic National Convention are embracing Charli XCX’s social media post that sparked a cultural movement.
Thousands gathered in Union Park for the Pitchfork Music Festival, the Chicago Bears started training camp at Halas Hall, and Vice President Kamala Harris kicked off her presidential campaign.
Williams got in defensive end DeMarcus Walker’s face as he went after tight end Gerald Everett on Friday.
Bielema still needs to prove the Illini can win in a conference that just got even better with Oregon, USC, Washington and UCLA on board and has done away with divisions, the days of a weaker West now over.