Why do all newspaper articles in the last several years end with a contact list?

Question

In recent years, it has become common in articles to say messages were left for someone, or a phone call was not returned. When did this become customary? It seems a bit unnecessary for this information to be included.

Answer 1

It is necessary, because it tells readers that the reporter tried to get additional information before deadline but couldn't. For example, if I'm doing a story on a lawsuit filed against someone, my readers would want to hear from both sides in my story. But if the defendant won't return a message or answer any questions, I need to tell my readers, or else they will think I never bothered to contact the defendant. In some cases, it may even get the defendant, through his attorney, to call me back the day of publication after the defendant or his attorney thinks their failure to respond makes them look bad.