This study investigates the pragmatics of silence in media discourse, focusing on Nigerian newspaper coverage of the 2023 general elections. Moving beyond the traditional view of silence as the mere absence of speech, the study conceptualizes silence as a strategic communicative resource through which meaning is constructed, negotiated, and interpreted. Drawing on Speech Act Theory, Grice’s Cooperative Principle, and the Spiral of Silence Theory, it examines how silence operates within media texts and political interviews to shape narratives and influence audience perception. Adopting a qualitative descriptive research design, the study employs discourse analysis of selected reports and analytically reconstructed political interview scenarios derived from reportage patterns in The Punch, The Guardian Nigeria, and Vanguard Newspaper. Data are analyzed in relation to five research questions, with particular attention to identified ―areas of silence,‖ including omission of critical information, evasive responses, absence of counter-narratives, strategic pauses, justificatory silence, and selective reporting. Findings reveal that silence is systematically embedded in media discourse and functions pragmatically as a tool for evasion, face-saving, ideological framing, and agenda-setting. In political interviews, silence manifests through indirect responses, topic shifts, and pauses that enable political actors to avoid accountability while maintaining public image. In news reporting, silence appears through omission and selective emphasis, shaping audience interpretation by influencing what is perceived as important or irrelevant. The study concludes that silence is an active and strategic communicative element that significantly influences public perception, media credibility, and democratic engagement, highlighting the need for greater transparency, ethical responsibility, and media literacy.