Jornalismo local e a cobertura dos casos de Covid-19 em frigoríficos de Santa Catarina – Brasil.

The study analyzes the journalistic coverage of the accelerated growth of Covid-19 cases in Chapecó and Concórdia (SC, Brazil) meatpackers at the first peak of the disease, between May and June 2020. In the face of inspections that pointed out negligence and contamination of workers and the economic relevance credited to the sector companies, this article sought to understand how two communication groups from the cities approached the theme in their journalistic pages on the internet. The Journalistic Coverage Analysis proposal (SILVA; MAIA, 2011), adapted to the digital environment, guided the methodological procedures. The results pointed to the lack of investigation carried out by the local media which favored agents with the capacity to produce content and made citizen sources invisible. From a theoretical point of view, a paradox is pointed out: even in critical situations for the community, such as the pandemic, proximity journalism can move away from the local daily life that, in theory, characterize it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]