Lili Reinhart’s responds as a playful TikTok joke about a duct-taped Uber door quickly became sensationalized news story, exposing how media outlets can distort social media content for clicks and how easily panic and misinformation can overshadow the truth.
Lili Reinhart’s TikTok joke quickly spiraled into a full-blown news story after she posted an 8-second clip in an Uber, playfully saying, “If you never see me again, show this to the police.” While her followers understood the humor, media outlets like BuzzFeed sensationalized it, reporting that she sparked genuine concern and highlighting a 15-hour gap in her social media activity. Lili herself was stunned by the response, calling the coverage “fucking embarrassing” and clarifying on Instagram that she was never actually in danger.
This incident highlights how easily social media posts can be misinterpreted and exaggerated by news outlets hungry for attention-grabbing headlines. With over half of U.S. adults now getting at least some news from social media, the pressure for clicks has never been higher—often leading to confusion and misinformation. And while many people turn to trusted voices to cut through the noise, as Northwestern University’s Stephanie Edgerly notes, this cycle of hype and fear-mongering can overshadow the truth, as seen in Lili’s harmless TikTok.
