No comment

For other uses, see No comment (disambiguation).

No comments is a phrase used as a response to journalistic inquiries which the respondent does not wish to answer. Public figures may decline to comment on issues they are questioned or have nothing to say about the issue at the time. Officials not given authorization by their higher authority to speak to the media similarly may decline to comment.

Criticism

Some public relations professionals have argued against the use of "no comment," stating that one of the goals of working with the press is to resolve issues before they become hot topics. Offering no comment allows the press to fill in the blanks, diverts the focus of the publicity, and sacrifices an opportunity to communicate key messages.^[1]

Notable uses

• "No comment... in glorious Technicolor!" Harold Wilson, 1963, When asked for a statement on an unfolding scandal.
• "I don't believe in that 'no comment' business. I always have a comment." Martha Beall Mitchell^[2]

References

1. ^ Laermer, R. (2004). Full Frontal PR. New York: Bloomberg Press.
2. ^ Quoted by Nigel Rees in his book Why Do We Say ...? (1987), ISBN 0-7137-1944-3.