Why ‘no comment’ is a comment

'No comment’ is a comment.

Silence doesn’t make a story go away. It just means someone else gets to shape it for you.

What if you were in a legal dispute and you decided to not tell your own side of the story and let the other side say it all in court? You’d think that was a bad idea.

‘No comment’ removes your opportunity to clarify, add context, or in some cases, acknowledge and apologize. It also often suggests guilt, indifference, or even incompetence at a critical moment.

How you choose to respond needs to be tactful, strategic, honest, and smart. Your organization’s reputation hinges upon how you respond when challenges arise, not just when everything's going well and you have positive stories to tell.