Assessing the Effectiveness of Correcting COVID-19 Political Misinformation in Peru

Abstract

What is the effect of corrective information on support for candidates promoting COVID-19 misinformation campaigns? Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020, misinformation about the use of unproven drugs to prevent and/or treat COVID-19 has spread widely on social media. Due to the popularity of this misinformation, some politicians have included this discourse in their campaign platforms. In Peru, congressional candidates for the April 2021 elections are promoting the benefits of chlorine dioxide and the dangers of COVID-19 vaccines as part of their electoral campaigns. Despite the danger of these treatments, the government and health authorities have provided confusing and limited corrective information about them. In this study, I propose a survey experiment that tests if voters reduce their support for these candidates when provided with corrective information that refutes their misinformation campaigns.