Maybe a deal was possible earlier. And maybe, in retrospect, looking back, you could say this was a moment you could have jumped on. If so, shame on us. I tend to think not.

We are trying to make a product, a news experience, that more fully engages our readers, that allows them to want to spend more time with us.

The decision to hold [the story] never even got to me. It was made for good journalistic reasons.

I felt strongly that, one, Judy deserved the support of the paper in this cause - and the editorial page is the right place for such support, not the news pages. And secondly, that this issue of a federal shield law is really important to the nation.

She'd given her pledge of confidentiality. She was prepared to honor that. We were going to support her.

We are grateful to Judy for her significant personal sacrifice to defend an important journalistic principle. I respect her decision to retire from The Times and wish her well.