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Countering misinformation via WhatsApp: Preliminary evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe

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  • Jeremy Bowles
  • Horacio Larreguy
  • Shelley Liu

Abstract

We examine how information from trusted social media sources can shape knowledge and behavior when misinformation and mistrust are widespread. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe, we partnered with a trusted civil society organization to randomize the timing of the dissemination of messages aimed at targeting misinformation about the virus to 27,000 newsletter WhatsApp subscribers. We examine how exposure to these messages affects individuals’ beliefs about how to deal with the virus and preventative behavior. In a survey of 864 survey respondents, we find a 0.26σ increase in knowledge about COVID-19 as measured by responses to factual questions. Through a list experiment embedded in the survey, we further find that potentially harmful behavior—not abiding by lockdown guidelines—decreased by 30 percentage points. The results show that social media messaging from trusted sources may have substantively large effects not only on individuals’ knowledge but also ultimately on related behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Jeremy Bowles & Horacio Larreguy & Shelley Liu, 2020. "Countering misinformation via WhatsApp: Preliminary evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(10), pages 1-11, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0240005
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240005
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kosuke Imai & Gary King & Elizabeth A. Stuart, 2008. "Misunderstandings between experimentalists and observationalists about causal inference," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 171(2), pages 481-502, April.
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    1. Goette, Lorenz & Tripodi, Egon, 2024. "The limits of social recognition: Experimental evidence from blood donors," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 231(C).
    2. Armand, Alex & Augsburg, Britta & Bancalari, Antonella & Kameshwara, Kalyan Kumar, 2022. "Social Proximity and Misinformation: Experimental Evidence from a Mobile Phone-Based Campaign in India," CEPR Discussion Papers 16492, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    3. Armand, Alex & Augsburg, Britta & Bancalari, Antonella & Kameshwara, Kalyan Kumar, 2024. "Religious proximity and misinformation: Experimental evidence from a mobile phone-based campaign in India," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).

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