Seems to me that that's the same as saying the attorney had no comment or did not comment. Why do the reporters think it's important to tell us that someone didn't reply? If there was no comment, why not simply not mention it at all? Are they afraid that people might think they're somehow being derelict in performing their duties?
That’s a throw-someone-under-the-bus line. Why do you call it a throwaway?
It irks me that the worship-me-or-else “media” makes it seem as if every person on the planet owes them a statement, just to feed their hunger for ratings. People have a right not to respond to anything to which they choose, with the exception of legally-binding responses*. Some dweeb with a microphone or a notepad sticking a bazoo into your face does not have carte blanche to get you to spill your guts.
*One such example is that federal employees being questioned in a federal agency-led or federal interagency-led investigation of wrongdoing about on-duty activities do not have the legal protections of pleading the Fifth Amendment defense. Failure to respond to questioning in that precise type of investigation is a violation of federal employment regulations that can result in extremely negative consequences, up to and including demotion, termination from position, monetary fines, civil or criminal charges being filed, and/or incarceration.
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Reporter at a press conference:
“Miss S, Miss S, over here, please, I’m with The Tilde Times and Sandwich Star News. What can you tell the public about the recent reconciliation you’ve entered into with one Randall D. Randolph, the grammar billionaire who built a mansion for you on one of his many private islands? Is it also true that a pre-nup is in the works? Dies Does he really use word games as foreplay, or is that just a nasty rumor? How much were you swayed by his announcement of publishing a tell-all book on the truth behind the years-long battle of your fake restraining orders? Why have you hidden from the world the fact that you gave birth to a string of love-children you’ve borne for him? Are you responsible for the disappearances of each and every woman who previously lived in his Harem, all in a jealous rage to keep him all to yourself? The audio tapes where a woman thanks him for being her warm human blanket on cold northern nights, is that your voice? Is it true that you used to think he was only after your money? Where are you going? Come back to the lectern, Miss S, please! The public has so many more questions! Wait, please don’t go! We deserve answers!”
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I’m sorry, but I cannot respond to that.
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She has spokespeople? Why don’t I have spokespeople? I need to be explained much more than she does! Grrrrrrrr.
It seems that your explanation describes the exact same action in both instances, rather than describing a difference in action between them.
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Thank you for the clarification, but “did not reply” denotes that there was something to which a reply was expected, such as having been asked a question, or that an attempt was made to get information from someone. “No comment” also denotes that such a question was asked or that an attempt was made to get a statement.
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Jane S 