No comment or Comment-free is a phrase used as a response to journalistic inquiries which the respondent does not wish to answer.
[2] The first recorded usage as a stock answer to questions was made in 1950 by Charles Ross, President Harry Truman's White House press secretary.
[3] According to William Safire, Winston Churchill attributed the phrase to American diplomat Sumner Welles.
[4] 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.