Home > Jailing the Messenger > Norman Pearlstine Norman Pearlstine Norman Pearlstine has been the editor-in-chief of Time, Inc. since 1995. Before joining Time, Pearlstine also worked for The Wall Street Journal as a staff reporter in Dallas, Detroit and Los Angeles and as Tokyo bureau chief; Forbes magazine; and the Asian Wall Street Journal. Norman Pearlstine's letter to readers in Time (May 2005) Statement of Time, Inc. on the Matthew Cooper case (June 2005) Selected Reading From the July 2005 Judiciary Committee hearing: The absence of federal legislation protecting sources has created extraordinary chaos, limiting the public’s access to important information that is so necessary in a democratic society. The Supreme Court’s sharply divided decision 33 years ago in Branzburg v. Hayes, 408 U.S. 665 (1972), has mystified courts, lawyers and journalists alike. As a result, the federal courts are in a state of utter disarray about whether a reporter’s privilege protecting confidential sources exists. The conflicting legal standards throughout the federal courts defeat the nearly unanimous policies of the States in this area. This uncertainty chills essential newsgathering and reporting. It also leads to confusion by sources and reporters, and the threat of jail and other harsh penalties for reporters who do not know what promises they can make to their sources.   Home | Site Map | Copyright / Privacy Policy | Contact Us © 2004-2012 PEN American Center. All rights reserved.