Tim Fries, a 22-year-old from Michigan, created a web page that mimicked CNN.com's graphic style, and reported that Britney Spears had been killed in a car accident on 7 October.
By using a URL that began with www.cnn.com, he was able to fool readers into believing it was a real CNN.com page.
He also exploited a flaw within CNN's computer system's that led to the false story being listed on the CNN.com site, complete with its own link.
Mr Fries said he created the hoax to make a point. "With the recent terrorist attacks and such an increasing reliance on the internet as a trusted news source, misinformation could prove to be a powerful weapon," he said. He has now voluntarily taken the page offline.
For more information, please click here
Free daily newsletter
If you like our news and feature articles, you can sign up to receive our free daily (Mon-Fri) email newsletter (mobile friendly).
Related articles
- What do audiences need from climate journalism?
- Alireza Haji Hosseini, director of CNN Academy, on simulated news training
- CNN embarks on three-year digital project to cover gender inequality worldwide
- Amanpour: 'authoritarianism is creeping westward where it has no business belonging'
- How to find and succeed in journalism jobs abroad?
