on the npr hourly newscast just now, they described the attack on the un compound in mazar-e-sharif, apparently in response to a koran burning by a florida minister. then they dutifully reported the condemnations of the attack by ban-ki moon and obama, and in fact there have been whole news stories on the condemnations. the attack is news. but the condemnations are not. they are incredibly formulaic series of words ('we unequivocally condemn this cowardly act' etc). you know without being told what these people said; you have literally heard it a hundred times. they have to say it. but you don't have to report it. in a four-minute newscast, you could actually use those seconds to say something with some content about the actual event. it's not the case that what the authorities say is ipso facto news or that you need to have the comment of authorities to report a story to which it is irrelevant. if they respond in any substantive or surprising way, then by all means. otherwise, not at all.