Was the sender rewarded for passing along news of this kind in the past, or was she criticized?
Has the receiver’s direct superior made it clear that “no news is good news?”
Does the sender’s fear of failure or criticism prevent him from conveying the message?
Is the topic within his realm of expertise, increasing his confidence in his ability to decode it, or is he out of his comfort zone when it comes to evaluating the message’s significance? Are personal concerns impacting his ability to judge the message’s value?