Rep. John Conyers, a Democrat from Michigan, is peeved. He can't understand why an explosive story published early this month in England hasn't received more attention here.

On May 1, The Sunday Times of London reported the British government and the United States government secretly conspired to attack Iraq in 2002 - a year before the war started. In one meeting, an official suggested Britain and America "create" conditions to justify the war, the Times reported.

Conyers and 88 fellow congressional members sent a letter to President George W. Bush on May 5 asking about the "troubling allegations." They asked Bush several questions, including whether there was a "coordinated effort to fix intelligence" to justify the invasion.

In the letter sent to colleagues for their support, Conyers took a potshot at the media.

"Unfortunately, the mainstream media in the United States was too busy ... to cover a bombshell report out of the British newspapers," Conyers wrote. "This should not be allowed to fall down the memory hole during wall-to-wall coverage of the Michael Jackson trial and a runaway bride."

As of Friday, neither the president nor anyone representing the mainstream media (or "MSM" as Red Staters refer to it), responded to Conyers' letter.

With 17 years of experience with the Fourth Estate, I feel compelled and at least somewhat qualified to answer Mr. Conyers' charge against the media:



Dear Congressman:

Thank you for your letter. The issues you've raised are of dire importance to the public interest and all of us constituting the "mainstream media." However, due to our changing demographics, evolving technology and the rapid growth of our industry, it is not an advantageous time to pursue "real news."

With all due respect, the genre has changed. In your day, news was just news. Guys like Edward R. Murrow, Walter Cronkite and Bob Woodward worked for news organizations that focused solely on ... well, news. Today, the same organizations that deliver information also deliver music, books, coffee, refrigerators, ball games, concerts, fun parks and weapons of mass destruction. Viacom owns CBS and MTV. NBC is owned by GE (a huge defense contractor). And ABC is the property of Disney.

In a very real sense, Mr. Conyers, Disneyland is today's news.

As you know, there are about 12 mega-multinational conglomerates that control much of what we see, hear and read. Each entity can either support or destroy the other. We can't let a silly thing like news jeopardize our refrigerator sales, can we?

Remember last year when that bonehead Rather ran a report questioning the president's military record based on bad information? Now, that boo-boo almost brought down CBS. See, in the old days, a codger like Cronkite might have still insisted Bush explain his questionable record. That kind of maverick behavior is just plain reckless these days.

You mentioned Michael Jackson in your letter? Let me assure you, sir, that 24-hour coverage is no accident. The way we see it, if Jacko's convicted, we sell books, movies and, believe me, his old music will top the charts. If he's exonerated, we sell books, movies and his new music will top the charts. It's a win-win kind of thing.

As far as the "runaway" bride? That series polled through the roof.

That's called the "New Media," Mr. Conyers. Just as Clinton redefined the meaning of sex, conservatives have redefined news. Just look at the Fox Cable Network. They have superstars like O'Reilly, Hannity, Coulter. Forget news, my friend, these darlings sell books, CDs, coffee cups - they're team players.

The lines have been blurred. Yesterday's reporters are today's blabbermouths and bloggers. Male escort, porn star, conservative and (fake) reporter Jeff Gannon got a seat at White House press conferences right next to the cable and network stars. It was two years and 200 briefings before anyone caught on, and then it took bloggers to out him.

I'm sorry to inform you, Congressman, there will be no Bush-Blair-gate anytime soon. Walter Cronkite is retired, and the news is dictated by the rules of the "New Media."

If you want real news, Mr. Conyers, I'd suggest a visit to Disneyland.



E-mail: sylvesterbrown@post-dispatch.com
Phone: 314-340-8374
Talk in his forum: STLtoday.com/sbrown