Bowles, JeremyLarreguy, HoracioLiu, Shelley2020-11-242020-05Bowles, Jeremy, Horacio Larreguy, and Shelley Liu. “Countering Misinformation Via WhatsApp: Evidence from the COVID-19 Pandemic in Zimbabwe.” CID Working Paper Series 2020.380, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, May 2020.https://nrs.harvard.edu/URN-3:HUL.INSTREPOS:37366416We 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 COVID-19 virus to 27,000 newsletter WhatsApp subscribers. We examine how exposure to these messages affects individual beliefs about how to deal with the COVID-19 virus and preventative behavior. The results show that social media messaging from trusted sources may have substantively large effects on not only individual knowledge but also ultimately on related behavior.en-USResearch Paper or Report2020-11-24