http://twitter.com/#!/zanyzaneta/status/311925363221614592

We last wrote about New York Times reporter Robert Mackey when he used a progressive blog as a source for his smear job on Steven Crowder. On Wednesday, he reported at The Lede that Pope Francis has a Twitter account.

Update: The New Pope’s Twitter Feed nyti.ms/13TwqQh #pope

— NYTimes Lede Blog (@thelede) March 13, 2013

NBC Washington and Boston.com also reported on the account:

New Pope hasn’t tweeted as @pontifex yet, but he’s getting congratulations from around the world: bit.ly/Znhe8H

— NBCWashington (@nbcwashington) March 13, 2013

The @JMBergoglio account quickly attracted more than 100,000 followers.

He had 785 followers when he tweeted this. Announcing he’s the Pope. RT @jmbergoglioInmensamente feliz de ser el nuevo Papa, Francisco I

— Justin Wolfers (@justinwolfers) March 13, 2013

Jorge Bergoglio 1st tweet as pope Francis 1st. A man of our digital age. He also is on Facebook account @jmbergoglio twitter.com/franckperrier/…

— Franck Perrier (@franckperrier) March 13, 2013

But oops! It was a fake.

This is a fake account run by some sick person, not genuine —> @jmbergoglio

— David Freddoso (@freddoso) March 13, 2013

I don’t think @jmbergoglio is real, unless cardinals tweet things like “If I’m the new pope, children will love me more than Santa Claus”

— DavidKenner (@DavidKenner) March 13, 2013

.@jmbergoglio is NOT the new pope’s Twitter account. It looks like a long-standing parody. Scroll through back tweets.

— Caitlin Dewey (@caitlindewey) March 13, 2013

Twitter dropped the ban hammer on the fake @JMBergoglio account and corrections were issued.

Twitter has now suspend the fake account @jmbergoglio of Pope Francis. twitter.com/naugusta/statu…

— Nicholas Augusta (@naugusta) March 13, 2013

Apologies, we’ve corrected earlier @thelede update: @pontifex is active again but Cardinal’s personal Twitter account is reportedly a hoax.

— Robert Mackey (@RobertMackey) March 13, 2013

Correction: We’re now hearing that this account is a fake: bit.ly/Znhe8H

— NBCWashington (@nbcwashington) March 13, 2013

CORRECTION: @jmbergoglio is not the account of Jorge Mario Bergoglio. Our apologies.

— Boston.com News (@BostonDotCom) March 13, 2013

Those media outlets had plenty of company.

Tina Brown is following the fake Twitter account of the new pope: twitter.com/JMBergoglio/fo…

— Andrew Kaczynski (@BuzzFeedAndrew) March 13, 2013

Update: Sorry folks, @jmbergoglio is a fake account

— Anthony De Rosa (@AntDeRosa) March 13, 2013

Twitter employee -> RT @bcoyne: correction: @jmbergoglio may not be the correct account. sorry all. #notnewpope

— Alex Fitzpatrick (@AlexJamesFitz) March 13, 2013

correction: @jmbergoglio may not be the correct account. sorry all. #notnewpope

— Bridget Coyne (@bcoyne) March 13, 2013

Correction: “@lheron: Mea culpa, everyone. @jmbergoglio is not the #newpope‘s Twitter account. Please disregard.”

— Kimberly Wyatt (@tv_leader) March 13, 2013

MT @mashable Correction @jmbergoglio Is not the new Pope’s twitter account, it’s @pontifex

— J. Paul Getty Museum (@GettyMuseum) March 13, 2013

Read more: http://twitchy.com/2013/03/14/oops-ny-times-other-media-hoaxed-by-fake-pope-francis-twitter-account/