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Huo Jingnan Huo Jingnan is a reporter for NPR.
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Huo Jingnan

Huo Jingnan

Reporter

Huo Jingnan is a reporter curious about how people navigate complex information landscapes and all the actors shaping that journey.

Previously, she was an associate producer on NPR's Investigations team, where she worked with journalists in the network and at member stations to produce original, in-depth reporting. She looked into how many homes sold by the federal government are in flood zones, investigated why face mask guidelines differ between countries, and helped gauge the federal government's role behind black lung disease's resurgence. The projects she worked on have won awards including Edward Murrow Award, NASEM Communications award, Silver Gavel Award, and have also been nominated for Emmy Awards and George Foster Peabody awards.

Story Archive

Sunday

Untangling Disinformation

Conspiracy theories are already swirling about the Trump assassination attempt

Little is known about the alleged shooter in the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Conspiracy theories have filled the void, and those narratives can be hard to dispel.

Trump assassination attempt conspiracy theories

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Law enforcement agents stand near the stage of a campaign rally for former President Donald Trump after a failed assassination attempt on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Penn. Conspiracy theories and violent rhetoric have surged since the shooting.

Law enforcement agents stand near the stage of a campaign rally for former President Donald Trump after a failed assassination attempt on Saturday in Butler, Pa. Conspiracy theories and violent rhetoric have surged since the shooting. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images hide caption

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Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Untangling Disinformation

Conspiracy theories surge following the assassination attempt on Trump

The assassination attempt has supercharged conspiracy theories and threats of political violence that have characterized this presidential campaign from the outset.

Examining how narratives about the Trump assassination attempt are resonating

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Wednesday

A file photo of Minister of Diaspora Affairs of Israel Amichai Chikli from May 2024. He was taking part in the Spanish far-right wing party Vox's rally

A file photo of Minister of Diaspora Affairs of Israel Amichai Chikli from May 2024. He was taking part in the Spanish far-right wing party Vox's rally "Europa Viva 24" in Madrid. The New York Times reported that Chikli's ministry funded a covert online influence campaign targeting U.S. lawmakers over the war in Gaza. Chikli denied those reports. Oscar del Pozo/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Oscar del Pozo/AFP via Getty Images

Untangling Disinformation

How Israel tried to use AI to covertly sway Americans about Gaza

A new report by an Israeli watchdog group ties an Israeli firm to a covert online campaign intended to sway crucial Democratic lawmakers to continue backing Israel’s campaign in Gaza.

Friday

Voters cast ballots in Georgia's primary election at a polling location on May 21, 2024 in Atlanta. Many officials and researchers worry that audio deepfakes of politicians could be used to sway elections this year.

Voters cast ballots in Georgia's primary election at a polling location on May 21, 2024 in Atlanta. Many officials and researchers worry that audio deepfakes of politicians could be used to sway elections this year. Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images hide caption

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Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images

Untangling Disinformation

It’s quick and easy to clone famous politicians’ voices, despite safeguards

Most of the tools tested by researchers at the nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate could be used to successfully clone a wide range of voices belonging to European and American politicians.

Wednesday

Jim Hoft, owner of the Gateway Pundit, at the White House in 2019. The website has been hit with defamation lawsuits related to 2020 election fraud conspiracy theories it is accused of spreading.

Jim Hoft, owner of the Gateway Pundit, at the White House in 2019. The website has been hit with defamation lawsuits related to 2020 election fraud conspiracy theories it is accused of spreading. Evan Vucci/AP hide caption

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Evan Vucci/AP

Untangling Disinformation

Gateway Pundit files for bankruptcy after election conspiracy defamation lawsuits

The influential website faced multiple defamation suits over conspiracy theories about 2020 election fraud that it's accused of promoting.

Sunday

Tuesday

As Iran attacked Israel, old and faked videos and images got millions of views on X

A billboard in central Tehran, Iran, depicts named Iranian ballistic missiles in service, with text in Arabic reading "the honest [person's] promise" and text in Persian reading "Israel is weaker than a spider's web," on April 15. Iran attacked Israel over the weekend with missiles, which it said was a response to a deadly strike on its consulate building in Damascus, Syria. Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images

Untangling Disinformation

As Iran attacked Israel, old and faked videos and images got millions of views on X

Images and videos from previous conflicts, video games and AI generators were often spread by accounts that pay to be boosted on the social media site once known as Twitter.

Wednesday

The government announced winners of a contest to tell real voices from deepfake audio

A 2014 file photo of the seal of the Federal Trade Commission in a carpet a FTC headquarters in Washington, DC. The organization is trying to raise consumer awareness about the use of artificial intelligence tools to create convincing audio deepfakes. Paul J. Richards/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Paul J. Richards/AFP via Getty Images

Untangling Disinformation

The government announced winners of a contest to tell real voices from deepfake audio

Four organizations won a FTC contest for their tools that help tell real audio clips from deepfakes. The winners' approaches illuminate challenges AI audio deepfakes pose.

Friday

Using AI to detect AI-generated deepfakes can work for audio — but not always

As deepfake generation technology improves and leaves ever-fewer telltale signs that humans can rely on, computational methods for detection are becoming the norm. But technological solutions are no silver bullet for the problem of detecting AI-generated voices. Aaron Marin for NPR hide caption

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Aaron Marin for NPR

Untangling Disinformation

Using AI to detect AI-generated deepfakes can work for audio — but not always

Now that people can easily create real-sounding voices with artificial intelligence, detection technologies are racing to catch deepfake audio, but it's a tough game of whack-a-mole.

Using AI to detect AI-generated deepfakes can work for audio — but not always

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Thursday

People working on climate solutions are facing a big obstacle: conspiracy theories
Getty Images

NPR's Climate Week: A Search For Solutions

People working on climate solutions are facing a big obstacle: conspiracy theories

To talk about the current state of climate disinformation, we checked in with three NPR reporters who have reported on climate, disinformation and the media.

People working on climate solutions are facing a big obstacle: conspiracy theories

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Thursday

How rumors and conspiracy theories got in the way of Maui's fire recovery

An aerial image taken on Aug. 10, 2023 shows destroyed homes and buildings burned to the ground in Lahaina in the aftermath of wildfires in western Maui, Hawaii. Rumors and conspiracy theories quickly flourished after the fire, hampering relief efforts. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

Untangling Disinformation

How rumors and conspiracy theories got in the way of Maui's fire recovery

Some of the rumors and conspiracy theories were driven by the island's history, but others were pushed by social media influencers and foreign governments.

How rumors and conspiracy theories got in the way of Maui's fire recovery

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Wednesday

National

Maui residents grapple with rumors about the fire and aid as they try to rebuild

As if the most deadly wildfires in modern U.S. history hadn't been devastating enough, Maui residents were then hit with rumors and conspiracy theories, making some people hesitant to seek help.

Maui residents grapple with rumors about the fire and aid as they try to rebuild

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Thursday

New study shows just how Facebook's algorithm shapes conservative and liberal bubbles

A large video monitor on the campus of Meta, Facebook's parent company, in Menlo Park, Calif. in February. New research about Facebook shows its impact on political polarization. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption

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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Untangling Disinformation

New study shows just how Facebook's algorithm shapes conservative and liberal bubbles

Research conducted at the height of the 2020 election reveals new details about how Facebook's algorithms handle political content. But it suggests there are no easy fixes to political polarization.

New study shows just how Facebook's algorithm shapes conservative and liberal bubbles

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Wednesday

This right wing conspiracy theory about eating bugs is about as racist as you think

The conspiracy theory alleges that a shadowy global elite conspires to control the world's population, in part by forcing them to eat insects. Kyle Ellingson for NPR hide caption

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Kyle Ellingson for NPR

Code Switch

This right wing conspiracy theory about eating bugs is about as racist as you think

Gene Demby and NPR's Huo Jingnan dive into a conspiracy theory about how "global elites" are forcing people to eat bugs. And no huge surprise — the theory's popularity is largely about its loudest proponents' racist fear-mongering.

This right wing conspiracy theory about eating bugs is about as racist as you think

Listen · 33:09
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Thursday

Sunday

From 4chan to international politics, a bug-eating conspiracy theory goes mainstream

The conspiracy theory alleges that a shadowy global elite conspires to control the world's population, in part by forcing them to eat insects. It's being cited by politicians in several countries. Kyle Ellingson for NPR hide caption

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Kyle Ellingson for NPR

Untangling Disinformation

From 4chan to international politics, a bug-eating conspiracy theory goes mainstream

The conspiracy theory alleges that a shadowy global elite conspires to control the world's population, in part by forcing them to eat insects. It's being cited by politicians in several countries.

From 4chan to international politics, a bug-eating conspiracy theory goes mainstream

Listen · 4:37
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Friday

Politics

How a conspiracy theory about eating bugs made its way to international politics

A conspiracy theory that claims governments are trying to enslave people and force them to eat bugs has made the leap from online message boards to national politics in at least two countries.

How a conspiracy theory about eating bugs made its way to international politics

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Trump's online supporters remain muted after his indictment

Supporters of former US President Donald Trump protest near the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, on March 30, 2023. CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images

Untangling Disinformation

Trump's online supporters remain muted after his indictment

Donald Trump's supporters on far-right social media platforms appear less enthusiastic about coming to the former president's aid. They're wary of ending in the same place of Jan. 6 rioters.

Thursday

She's Ukrainian-American. Her relatives are in Russia. Family group texts are awkward

As Russia's war in Ukraine drags on to almost a year, diaspora communities with families on different sides of the conflict have been trying to both stay informed and maintain family relations. Yifan Wu for NPR hide caption

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Yifan Wu for NPR

Untangling Disinformation

She's Ukrainian-American. Her relatives are in Russia. Family group texts are awkward

For people who have family members on different sides of the war in Ukraine, it's been a long year of disagreeing, disbelieving and biting tongues.

She's Ukrainian-American. Her relatives are in Russia. Family group texts are awkward

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Sunday

World

For families on both sides of the war in Russia and Ukraine, talking about it is a challenge

For those with families in both Russia and Ukraine, talking about what's happening on the ground in Ukraine has become a challenge.

For families on both sides of the war in Russia and Ukraine, talking about it is a challenge

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Thursday

Twitter's new data access rules will make social media research harder

Twitter's headquarters in San Francisco. The company's latest change will make it harder to researchers to study the platform. David Odisho/Getty Images hide caption

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David Odisho/Getty Images

Untangling Disinformation

Twitter's new data access rules will make social media research harder

Twitter will start charging users for downloading and uploading data. Everything from bots giving out earthquake alerts to ambitious research about how misinformation spreads could be affected.

Tuesday

Confusion and falsehoods spread as China reverses its 'zero-COVID' policy

Residents walk by a security guard in protective suit browsing his phone at a main entrance gate to a neighborhood in Beijing, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022. Andy Wong/AP hide caption

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Andy Wong/AP

Untangling Disinformation

Confusion and falsehoods spread as China reverses its 'zero-COVID' policy

As China lifts its stringent zero-COVID policy, public health messaging has taken a U-turn. People are grappling with the whiplash, trying to find a way to protect themselves and loved ones.

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