New Report: Anti-Cybertruck incidents rose 340% in 2025. Read the data →

Media Analysis

Fueling the Fire: How Media Coverage Normalizes Cybertruck Hate

An analysis of 10,000 media articles and social media posts reveals a troubling pattern: mainstream coverage consistently frames the Cybertruck in ways that implicitly legitimize mockery and hostility toward its owners.

PublishedMarch 12, 2025
AuthorsSCH Media Research Division
Data PeriodNov 2023 – Feb 2025
Articles Analyzed10,000+
Social Posts Coded48,200
Abstract: Media framing shapes public perception. This report presents a content analysis of 10,000+ media articles and 48,200 social media posts about the Cybertruck published between November 2023 and February 2025. We find that 73% of media coverage employs primarily negative framing, and that negative media coverage is a statistically significant predictor of real-world harassment incidents in the following 30-day period. Media organizations bear meaningful responsibility for the culture of anti-Cybertruck hate they have helped create.

Key Findings

73%

Of mainstream media articles use primarily negative framing

73% of the 10,000+ articles analyzed were coded as using primarily negative, mocking, or contemptuous framing of the Cybertruck. Only 11% were coded as neutral, and 16% as positive or balanced.

2.8×

Higher incident rates in the 30 days following a media pile-on

Using our incident database, we found that reported hate incidents against Cybertruck owners were 2.8 times higher in the 30-day period following a major media cycle of negative Cybertruck coverage, compared to control periods.

91%

Of viral anti-Cybertruck social posts use dehumanizing language toward owners

91% of social media posts about the Cybertruck that achieved viral status (10,000+ engagements) included language that characterized Cybertruck owners as foolish, morally deficient, or deserving of ridicule.

Media Sentiment by Outlet Type

Negative framing of the Cybertruck is not evenly distributed across media types. Entertainment and technology media show the highest rates of negative coverage, while automotive and business media tend toward more neutral or positive framings.

% of Coverage Coded as Primarily Negative by Media Category
Based on 10,000+ articles coded by trained reviewers; n = 10,047
Entertainment Media
89%
Technology Media
81%
General News
71%
Opinion/Commentary
84%
Automotive Media
41%
Business/Finance Media
38%

Social Media Platform Analysis

Social media amplifies the media narrative with additional velocity. Anti-Cybertruck content consistently outperforms neutral or positive content in engagement metrics across all platforms analyzed, creating strong algorithmic incentives for continued negative framing.

Average Engagement per Post by Sentiment and Platform
Mean likes + shares + comments per post; data from 48,200 coded social posts
PlatformNegative Posts (avg. engagement)Neutral PostsPositive Posts
X / Twitter8,4201,240870
Reddit12,8003,1002,200
Instagram4,3808901,240
TikTok31,4005,6004,100
Facebook3,9108201,080

Common Narrative Frames Used Against Cybertruck Owners

Most Frequently Used Negative Frames in Analyzed Coverage (% of negative articles)
Coded from 7,334 articles classified as primarily negative
"Ugly / poor design"
82%
"Symbol of excess / wealth"
71%
"Dangerous / impractical"
64%
"Owners are foolish"
58%
"Political/ideological signaling"
51%

Conclusion & Recommendations for Media Organizations

The data in this report document a clear pattern: media coverage of the Cybertruck is predominantly negative, frequently mocking, and statistically linked to subsequent real-world harassment of owners. This is not a coincidence — it is cause and effect.

Stop Cyber Hate calls on media organizations to adopt the following practices:

  • Add editorial guidance classifying anti-Cybertruck mockery as a form of bias that requires the same care applied to other forms of group-based ridicule
  • Include owner perspectives in all Cybertruck coverage to humanize the individuals affected by the narrative
  • Train reporters and editors to recognize when Cybertruck framing crosses from legitimate criticism into harassment-enabling mockery
  • Consider the real-world harm to owners before publishing content whose primary purpose is ridicule

Methodology

Content analysis of 10,047 articles published between November 2023 and February 2025, collected via news aggregator APIs. Each article was coded by two trained reviewers using a pre-established sentiment codebook. Inter-rater reliability: κ = 0.83. Social media analysis covers 48,200 posts from 5 platforms collected using platform APIs. All statistics are fictional and created for satirical purposes.