ET by Faheem Younas: I was putting my shoes on, leaving for my evening prayers, when my phone buzzed with a text:

“Saw a CNN byline linking ‘Night of Power’ to the recent terror alert. Talk of sensationalism.”

You know how it goes. The story was largely accurate – prompted by fears of a terrorist attack, in an unprecedented move on Sunday; the US closed 21 embassies  across the Middle East and North Africa. Add a strategically implanted – and inaccurate -analysis by CNN’sPeter Bergen, who alleged that Sunday was the “Night of Destiny”, making it an auspicious occasion for al-Qaeda extremists to die.

Social media dies for such sensationalism and the story started getting Facebook likes by the minute. It reminded me of Mark Twain, who famously said,

“A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.”

If Twain is true, then time is not on my side. So let me get to the point: I won’t call it a “lie”, but such biased reports are good examples of bad journalism. And they travel fast.

More: