Of course it could be, nobody is compelling publishers. The question is should it be, and the answer has traditionally been: depends, is it relevant? Which brings us back to the original question of merit.

It also depends a lot on the standards of the publisher versus the expectations of the readership. Personally, I agree with your implication: I can't think of any papers today who wouldn't choose to include this information—as red meat is an important part of the modern news diet—but hey, in a world of unprejudiced readers who weighed legal matters solely on the basis of evidence, I can certainly imagine it not being brought up, and those readers still being well-informed.