No news is good news?

No news is good news I've heard that line a thousand times - but I still can't decide if it's a truism or a lie. This week I am having a lot of opportunties to test it.
1. Earthquake in Peru - where oldest step-daughter, her husband, and 2 and 8/9's grandchildren live. No news for nearly 24 hours after the quake. Definitely did not feel like good news. Did get an email late the day after (phones were still down.) and everyone was ok.
2. Reviewers at work for a BIG audit / contract compliance review all week. I wasn't even asked any questions by them today. Maybe that's good - everything was clear and correct (I hope) or everything was so obviously out-of-compliance that they didn't even feel the need to get more information. The jury is still out on this one. I'll find out on Friday whether "no news" during the review was good or bad.
3. Logan at Harding for a week. No calls from him. Is that good news (he's having a great time and hopefully going to classes) or bad news (he hates harding, his roommate, his classes, and his parents for sending him there and is no longer speaking to us). I have actually spoken to him twice (for maybe 5 minutes total in the last week and only after leaving messages like call home because I am getting emails about your parking permit being returned as undeliverable). The first thing out of his mouth both times was "What do you want?" He is alive, and busy - so I guess in this case no news was good news.

That makes the tally even at one for truism, one for lie, and one for undecided.