Back in the day when traditional PR still had currency in a world then dominated by establishment media that told us what to think, I used to advise clients to never say "No comment" in an interview with the press. The expression, I told them, was a favorite of crooks on 60 Minutes. By using it, they came across as dodgey, guilty, even arrogant. Much better to say, "I can't answer that" or give an answer to some other question, no matter what question was asked.

Now in a somewhat ironic reversal, the establishment media in many instances seems to have its own "No comment" policy. Here, for example, is a somewhat glaring example. It's a story about the power of comments on blogs, written by Allan Hoffman of The Star Ledger and used online with permission by NJ.com. Good piece, except guess what? There's no way to leave a comment.

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