[View the story "Associated Press Twitter account hacked; @AP jokes ensue" on Storify]

Associated Press Twitter account hacked; @AP jokes ensue

Storified by Maclean's Magazine· Tue, Apr 23 2013 20:00:29

Twitter is great for reporting breaking news, but social media lovers should not automatically believe everything they read. Followers of the Associated Press (@AP) learned this lesson Tuesday afternoon when some shocking news came in.

.. @AP twitter account hacked.#Obama #WhiteHouse pic.twitter.com/jNLW0Fa4KwMohammad Ali Javed

BREAKING NEWS - DOW JONES BRIEFLY PLUNGES AFTER FAKE AP TWEET REPORTS 2 BOMBS AT WHITE HOUSE. twitpic.com/clf91k twitpic.com/clf91x911 Operator

Someone hacked into the @AP twitter account, which even caught Wall Street off guard, causing a slight blip on the Dow Jones.

That hacked @ap tweet was still enough to send the Dow plummeting 1% for a second pic.twitter.com/fIHktlcCcK (via @OwenCallan )Doug Saunders

The Syrian Electronic Army claimed responsibility for the hack, according to the Associated Press, and an AP employee quickly tweeted out that no one should be alarmed.

Please Ignore AP Tweet on explosions, we've been hacked.Sam Hananel

For the most part, no one was fooled by the hacked @AP tweets.

Go home AP... You're drunk. RT @AP: Breaking: Two Explosions in the White House and Barack Obama is injuredTim Williams

If you're going to hack the @AP Twitter account, at least know how to write in AP style. #APHackBarrett Tryon

Dear @AP: "password" is not a safe password for your Twitter account.Jonah Keri

Also, if anyone wants to tweet something completely inappropriate, now's the time. If the AP can use the "I got hacked" excuse...Chris Kluwe

And so, people jokingly started making fake @AP tweets of their own.

LOL RT @AP: Breaking: Two funksplosions in the White House and Barack Obama is krunkinAlex Yudelson

MT: @AP Bees! Everyone gets beeeeeeeees!!! ALSO WE DO NEWS THE GOODEST AND OUR PASSWORD WAS NOT, REPEAT NOT, 'SWORDFISH'.Chris Kluwe

RT @AP: Glee is a good showrob delaney

Hacked or reality? You decide. RT @AP: BREAKING Drunk Joe Biden drives golf cart through FLOTUS rose garden.Matt Rickett

RT @AP: You're not gonna believe the all the stuff we just found in Al Capone's vault.jimgeraghty

RT: @AP: PEOPLE OF GOTHAMGarrett Quinn

RT: @AP Ke$ha named United States Poet Laureate by President Obama during White House ceremony.Garrett Quinn

RT: @AP: With the first pick in the NFL Draft the Kansas City Chiefs select Manti Te'o from Notre Dame.Garrett Quinn

BREAKING: Blast inside AP office, twitter password injured.Faking News

But leave it to The Onion to let everyone know that they are the authority for fake news.

BREAKING: Two Explosions in the White House and Barack Obama is InjuredThe Onion

Get the Best of Maclean’s straight to your inbox.