CITIZEN KATE
How many people have you heard say they cannot bear to watch the news? How many friends will not go to the polls, claiming their votes do not matter? President Biden’s rematch with Donald Trump seems to be fanning the flames of voter apathy while, at the same time, posing powerful threats to institutions we depend on and care about.
So . . . if you are like me, a student of history, following credible news sources, you want to do something to break the apathy and get out the vote. I created “Citizen Kate” in 2008. (Take a look at the showcase of past and present episodes) Kate was a phenomenon on the campaign trail – a youthful independent voice covering the election. Her piece on the “butter bust of Obama,” sculpted by the Butter Cow Lady of Iowa, made international headlines and probably helped him win Iowa. I re-launched Citizen Kate in 2016 to equal acclaim and now we are seeking financial backing to put Kate back on the campaign trail in 2024, through our fiscal sponsor, Chicago Filmmakers, a 501c3.
In 2024, Kate is an authentic voice, a citizen journalist connecting with Gen Z and fellow Millennials through regular posts on social media. Her mission is very precise: to unpack voter apathy and reignite political excitement on the most common issues: inflation at the grocery store, the high cost of housing, regulation of the internet, reproductive health, access to voting, etc. A young millennial herself, Citizen Kate breaks open the issues through a light approach that combines personal research, listening, and humor.
In the last month, @RealCitizenKate has filed dozens of original, filmed pieces for Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube. My team include Chicago born and bred including: Director, Jeff Michalski, a globally sought-after improv coach, theater owner, and character actor who’s taught Stephen Colbert, Amy Sedaris, and Chris Farley at Second City, to name a few; Creator/Producer, Carey Lundin, the creator of Citizen Kate, a TV producer, filmmaker, park creator, and former Chicago democratic political consultant (Adelstein/Liston) who has been on the campaign trail thrice; and consulting producer, Andrea Miller, (she’s from New York) whose experience spans both news (The Media Beat, CNBC) and comedy (Indecision ’92 with Al Franken and Roger Ailes), and the dynamic political media team of Chicago’s Kurth/Lampe.
Our goal is to raise a modest $200k to keep Kate going through the election to visit events in CA, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, the DNC, and the inauguration. The rest of our team includes Gersh, one of the world’s top talent agencies, Caravan Management, and TSMA: The Social Media Agency, who are developing our social footprint and strategy. Let’s keep Kate on the road because any impact is worth it. We appreciate your consideration.
Prior to the DNC, Kurth/Lampe plans to hold a media party at the Billy Goat to introduce Citizen Kate to Midwest and national media. Mayer Brown is such an institution in Chicago and globally recognized for your work with causes there is an opportunity to be part of that event as a sponsor and partner. We can foresee interviewing electeds such as Mayor Laurie Lightfoot on the challenges for Chicago during the DNC.