VILA SOCÓ TRAGEDY AND LOCAL MEDIA: COVERAGE BY PRINTED NEWSPAPERS A TRIBUNA AND CIDADE DE SANTOS

Abstract

A massive fire in 1984 caused a tragedy in Vila Socó, Cubatão. Official figures claimed 93 lives, while unofficial figures claimed over 500. The focus was on Brazil's largest state-owned company, Petrobras. The research analyzed the coverage of the main print newspapers in Baixada Santista at the time—A Tribuna and Cidade de Santos—published over a month after the disaster. The aim was to understand the behavior of these two media outlets and their editorial lines, with particular emphasis on the disclosure of those responsible for the fire. After all, Brazil was experiencing the final period of the military dictatorship, and a rumor spread as quickly as the fire that residents had drilled holes in Petrobras-owned fuel pipelines to steal fuel