Manila, Feb. 22 -- Much of the topics I often write about in this column, as can be gleaned from the title itself, is culled from personal experiences and observations, or what I have read and appreciated as very significant and inspiring in one's life.

I normally begin with a glance at a certain event and proceed by providing backgrounders and other details for more complete information as much as possible.

This time, I am sharing with the readers a news story that showed why young news writers or reporters must always avoid: that of dealing with fake or manufactured information.

I am citing here a news story that put a budding cub reporter of a national newspaper in an embarrassing situation sometime in 1958, long before the prolifer...