Mattia Filomena (University of Bergamo)
Vincenzo Carrieri and Francesco Principe
This article examines how newsworthy events influence individual behavior related to workplace safety - a sector that accounts for a significant share of non-disease-related fatalities across European countries. Using high-frequency, province-level data from Italy we find that media coverage of newsworthy fatal workplace accidents, especially those involving young, female, or foreign-born workers, leads to a short-term decline in non-fatal injuries, likely due to heightened precautionary behavior. The effect is driven by newspaper coverage of the fatality and is significantly weakened during weeks when competing news stories, such as more expected points for the local football team, divert public attention. These findings highlight the importance of salience in injury prevention and show that media coverage of tragic events can have tangible effects on individual behavior.