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user · 2008-10-03 9:50 am

Apple Denies Steve Jobs Heart Attack Report: "It Is Not True"

"Citizen journalism" apparently just failed its first significant test. A CNN iReport poster reported this morning that Steve Jobs had been rushed to the ER after a severe heart attack. Fortunately, it appears the story was false. We contacted an Apple spokeswoman, who categorically denied it.

CNN's iReport kept the report up until at least 10:15 AM, about 20 minutes after we published Apple's denial. The story has since been removed.

Wonder if somebody's got bet money riding on this.

justine · 2008-10-03 10:10 am

Ya know. I really hate to say this, but when there's so much talk about a public figures declining (or not) health, there's usually at least a little bit of truth to it, especially when the person in question looks so gaunt.

Metacell · 2008-10-03 10:52 am

I thought you were going to say Steve Jones! Almost gave me a heart attack.

Steyr AUG · 2008-10-03 12:12 pm

Send the SEC to go punk some fools for this.

user · 2008-10-03 12:44 pm

Maybe there's some neiked short sellers hanging around the ER.

Bat · 2008-10-03 1:32 pm

user wrote:
Apple Denies Steve Jobs Heart Attack Report: "It Is Not True"
"Citizen journalism" apparently just failed its first significant test. A CNN iReport poster reported this morning that Steve Jobs had been rushed to the ER after a severe heart attack. Fortunately, it appears the story was false. We contacted an Apple spokeswoman, who categorically denied it.

CNN's iReport kept the report up until at least 10:15 AM, about 20 minutes after we published Apple's denial. The story has since been removed.
Wonder if somebody's got bet money riding on this.

Apple already led the recent decline in the Dow after two analysts downgraded. One cited remaining sales growth being in the sub-$1,000 laptop market where Apple currently has no offerings, and their recent sales strength being in the laptop segment. Any such report would only accentuate the decline... maybe someone did have bad motives and/or have real money riding on this.

UPDATE: Here's CNN's official statement. CNN says it removed the story because the "community" brought the story to its attention. Importantly, CNN also refers to the content as "fraudulent," which is much stronger than "inaccurate." "Fraudulent" implies an intent to deceive.
...

We expect this will lead to an SEC investigation. The IP address of the iReport poster will be easily traceable, and we expect the SEC will want to interview him or her to see if the story was "placed." (You don't have to be George Soros to figure out how the stock would react to a story like this.)

ScifiterX · 2008-10-03 2:00 pm

Bat wrote:
Apple already led the recent decline in the Dow after two analysts downgraded.

Funny how a Nasdaq company can lead a decline in the Dow.

Bat · 2008-10-03 2:15 pm

Stock market, then. You're now doomed to amounts of niggling on your detail shortfalls hitherto undreamt of.

And you make so many... twisted

Goat on Parade · 2008-10-03 2:28 pm

Obviously fake.
1. Vegans don't get heart attacks
2. Steve Jobs doesn't have a heart

ScifiterX · 2008-10-03 2:49 pm

Bat wrote:
Stock market, then. You're now doomed to amounts of niggling on your detail shortfalls hitherto undreamt of.

And you make so many...

twisted Go for it if you can take it yourself.

Bat · 2008-10-04 3:00 am

You're on. wink You won't know where or when; expect it when it happens.

I've had PMs from folks saying "Please post in (such and so) thread; Sci's getting everything all wrong again. He just won't listen..." whaa

I doubt you've had the same about me. Not to mention your endemic typos and atrocious grammar & spelling.

twisted tongue twisted