"An organization that prides itself on pointing its finger at people shouldn't be breaking the law itself." Those are the words of Time editor-in-chief Norman Pearlstine as published in his own magazine in a Bill Saporito story. That, in a nutshell, was his reasoning in arriving at "...the most difficult [decision] I have made in more than 36 years in the news business." Basically, Pearlstine decided that he had to respect the law regardless of his personal opinion of that law. Time noted the efforts on Capitol Hill to put a federal shield law in place, and Saporito took a stab at explaining why such efforts are starting out with a healthy dose of bipartisanship. He concluded his article saying, "It's not that legislators love the media. But when it comes to advancing their politics, legislators can be world-class leakers and could have as much to lose as journalists." If special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald and the judges who allowed him to press contempt charges have any supporters, they aren't making very much noise. Here are comments from some who are, including the ABC News, RTNDA, NAA, and RCFP.

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David Westin, President, ABC News: "Letting journalists keep their sources confidential isn't to protect the journalists - - it's to protect the public's right to know important facts that otherwise would never come to light. Forty-eight states and the District of Columbia have recognized this in their laws. The courts in the case of Judith Miller and Matt Cooper have made it plain that it's up to Congress to make sure the federal government finally catches up with the states and ensures that the press can serve the public by reporting the truth."

Barbara Cochran, President, Radio-Television News Directors Association: "It is now up to Congress to recognize that an informed citizenry and the preservation of news sources are of vital importance to a free society."

John F. Sturm, President and CEO of the Newspaper Association of America: "Confidential sources have played a vital role in the reporting process, contributing important information on issues ranging from major safety violations at nuclear plants to corporate fraud. Without the promise of confidentiality, sources, including whistleblowers, will not come forward."

Lucy A. Dalglish, Executive Director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press: "Granting confidentiality to sources by reporters is often the only way the public finds out about waste, fraud and abuse in government and the private sector. It's simple: without the ability to protect confidential sources, citizens will not get the information they need to participate in a democracy."