Occupational accidents and the performance of the Occupational Health Reference Center in the pages of the Jornal de Piracicaba newspaper between 2007 and 2014

The prevention of occupational accidents is not an issue frequently covered by the print media. The aim of this study was to identify and describe the issues and actions promoted by Piracicaba Occupational Health Reference Center (Cerest), in Piracicaba, Sao Paulo State, Brazil, that attracted the interest of the local newspaper Jornal de Piracicaba and the image the newspaper promotes of the service and the issue of occupational accidents. A total of 146 texts published between 2007 and 2014 were analyzed in two categories: occupational accidents and occupational health surveillance. The findings show that the newspaper gives a voice to the actors involved and bases its coverage on the information and actions developed by the service, thus legitimizing occupational safety and health policy and the role of the local media in resolving social problems involving the community.