Over the years, as a journalist doing press interviews, I had a few interviewees respond to questions by saying ‘no comment’.
It was an answer that said more than was probably intended and not always the best response to trickier questions.
In the video, with a bit of help from Banksy, I explain why and how you can turn a tricky question into an opportunity.
Full video transcript:
There’s a quote that artist Banksy uses that he got from the Metropolitan Police.
And the quote is:
“There’s no way you’re going to get a quote from us to use on your book cover.”
Now it’s very cheeky; it’s very Banksy. But there is a serious point here about using ‘no comment’ when talking to the press, talking to journalists.
If you say no comment, it’s an opportunity missed.
It’s an opportunity that you’re not using to get your point across and to steer control of the narrative.
It also can look slightly suspicious to journalists.
I’m not saying it will look suspicious to all of them, but if you say ‘no comment’, what is it that you don’t want to say?
What is it that is not being said?
So I would be wary of using ‘no comment’. Instead, think of how you can steer the narrative and what you can still say instead.
How did I make this video?
It was shot on my iPhone with a ring light to brighten things up.
I used Veed.io to edit and add subtitles, the title banner and image. (It’s pretty easy to use.)
The video has also been repurposed as a LinkedIn post.
Sign up to get the B2B Content Clinic newsletter
Every month I send out a newsletter with tips and inspiration for B2B content creators and comms teams.
Sign up here to be on the email list for the next edition.
