False posting about Steve Jobs' heart attack sends Apple shares tumbling

SEATTLE — A CNN-owned Web site called iReport.com, which publishes reports written by ordinary citizens, said today it will give the Securities and Exchange Commission information about the author of an item that claimed Apple CEO Steve Jobs had suffered a heart attack.

The early morning report, which Apple spokesman Steve Dowling said was not true, sent shares plummeting to their lowest point in a year. The stock recovered around the time the post was removed from iReport.com, but ended the day off 3 percent at $97.07 amid a broader market slide.

An SEC spokesman declined to comment.

Jobs, who survived pancreatic cancer, has remained quiet on the topic of his health despite appearing extremely thin in recent public appearances.

CNN spokeswoman Jennifer Martin said the SEC contacted iReport.com this afternoon, and that the site's staff is "doing its best to provide them with information about the posting."

Martin said that "Johntw," the author of the Steve Jobs post, had never posted in iReport.com before. She did not know when the person joined the site.

iReport.com's "citizen journalists" are not required to give their real name when registering, though they must submit a working e-mail address.