iReport: So everybody can be journalist now?

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is examining the teen’s motives after the article on CNN’s iReport.com sent Apple shares down as much as 5.4 percent and cut Apple’s market value by at least $4.8 billion on Oct. 3, Bloomberg reports.

An 18-year-old posted the fake Internet report that Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs had suffered a heart attack.

The SEC is searching for traders who try to depress stocks by spreading false rumors and — as Bloomberg’s sources say — investigators haven’t found evidence the teenager tried to profit from driving down the stock.

CNN spokeswoman Jennifer Martin said that the cable news channel wasn’t aware of the age or identity of the person behind the iReport post.

CNN doesn’t plan to review its procedures for placing content on iReport, Martin said, declining to comment further.

The iReport site was started in August 2006 as part of CNN.com and became a stand-alone Web site in February.

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