Companies like Goldman Sachs have monopoly on news and PR--Taibbi

• Matt Taibbi writes about Goldman Sachs' strangle hold on America in Rolling Stone (6/30/09). Taibbi on his blog:

"I’m aware that some people feel that it’s a journalist's responsibility to "give both sides of the story” and be “even-handed” and “objective.” A person who believes that will naturally find serious flaws with any article like the one I wrote about Goldman. I personally don’t subscribe to that point of view.

• My feeling is that companies like Goldman Sachs have a virtual
  
• monopoly on mainstream-news public relations;

• for every one reporter like me, or like far more knowledgeable critics like Tyler Durden, there are a

• thousand hacks out there willing to pimp Goldman’s viewpoint on things in the front pages and ledes of the major news organizations.

And there are probably another thousand poor working stiffs who are nudged into pushing the Goldman party line

• by their editors and superiors

(how many political reporters with no experience reporting on financial issues have swallowed whole the news cliche about Goldman being the “smart guys” on Wall Street? A lot, for sure).

• Goldman has its alumni pushing its views from the pulpit of the U.S. Treasury, the NYSE, the World Bank, and numerous other important posts;
  

• it also has former players fronting major TV shows.
  

• They have the ear of the president if they want it.
  

Given all of this, I personally think it’s absurd to talk about the need for “balance” in every single magazine and news article. I understand that some people feel differently, but that’s my take on things."

• Goldman of course ridicules him in response.*Alinsky Rule #5: "Ridicule is man's most potent weapon." There is no defense. It's irrational. It's infuriating. It also works as a key pressure point to force the enemy into concessions"