  Using hard x-ray (HX ; $h\nu$ = 5.95 keV) synchrotron photoemission
spectroscopy (PES), we study the intrinsic electronic structure of
La$_{1-x}$Sr$_x$MnO$_3$ (LSMO) thin films. Comparison of Mn 2$p$ core-levels
with Soft x-ray (SX ; $h\nu$ $\sim$ 1000 eV) -PES shows a clear additional
well-screened feature only in HX-PES. Take-off-angle dependent data indicate
its bulk ($\ge$ 20 {\AA}) character. The doping and temperature dependence
track the ferromagnetism and metallicity of the LSMO series. Cluster model
calculations including charge transfer from doping induced states show good
agreement, confirming this picture of bulk properties reflected in Mn 2$p$
core-levels using HX-PES.
