Full Disclosure- The opinions herein are those of me...and you have no obligation to agree.
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-Don't Buy It- Having studied "old school" journalism in college, I get frustrated every time I see/hear a reporter on television...or radio for that matter...say "We attempted to contact so-and-so but we haven't heard back from them." Any journalist worth his or her salt (or paycheck)...at least in the days prior to instant gratification mass-communication...would say this is a HUGE cop out. It is incumbent on the journalist to get both sides of any story to do a complete and fair representation of that subject matter. Putting the onus on someone connected to the story to return a phone call or text in order to complete a story is NOT doing justice to the story, or presenting it in a way that is satisfactory and encompassing to the audience. Next time you hear a reporter use the "haven't heard back" line...call BS on it and remember who the reporter is who slighted you in their presentation.
There was a time when using that phrase in the presentation of a political or controversial subject would put a broadcast station in jeopardy of incurring a fine from the FCC...or worse, lose it's license to operate. The Fairness Doctrine (Google it) went away in 1987 for all intents and purposes, and until then instructed broadcasters to present stories of interest to their communities/markets and do them in a way that presented both sides of the issue in full. The abolition of this FCC policy on constitutional premises is credited with the explosion of advocacy journalism and political agenda presentations in both radio and TV. 
In my book...and I'm sure most journalism students of some age...the use of "we attempted" is tantamount to the reporter telling the audience that we couldn't present the story in it's entirety and the rest is up to you (the consumer). -0-
-Trustworthiness- In today's mass-communication environment, especially considering the multitudes of zealot-inspired internet garbage available, one has to constantly be wary of the information presented. How many newscasts, documentaries, or presentations purporting to be factual, are really trustworthy? There isn't even a good answer for that anymore. So many of the products we see and hear are funded by people who want your life to mirror theirs..or their Utopian vision...that one can't trust anything to be factual.
Unfortunately, we are now in a country and world where facts are based almost entirely on what one chooses to believe. And much, if not all, of the media is in the business of influencing that. The days of watching Walter Cronkite, or Huntley-Brinkley and expecting a fair presentation of a story by people who believed that was their job are apparently ancient history.
We would do well to enter into this presidential election season with that in mind.
