It would be an understatement to say that Florida is known for being…odd. With headlines like “Florida man attacks nephew over undercooked noodles” and “Florida man caught on camera licking doorbell” regularly occurring, many would say that this reputation is well-deserved. It has even become the inspiration for the “Florida Man” challenge: a recent internet trend where people google their birthday along with “Florida Man” in hopes of coming across a crazy news story.
As a Florida resident myself, I’d like to think the answer to my state’s attention-grabbing headlines is not as simple to people just being “weird.” After doing some digging, I found that it’s likely connected to three things:
1. Public Records
Through the state’s Sunshine Laws, citizens are able to access official records from the states governing agencies. While other states also have laws that address access to public records, many don’t allow for the same freedoms Florida has. This law applies to the access of crime reports, something that journalists have been able to use to their advantage and what has commonly lead to “Florida Man” headlined articles.
2. Population Size
In every place you visit, it’s assumed that there’s going to be a certain amount of strange news. With Florida being the third most populous state in the country, it could only be expected that there is going to be a larger pool of these type of stories in comparison to other states, giving journalists more to report on.
3. Mental Health
While “Florida Man” stories are often used as the butt of a joke, it’s also something that points out an underlying issue: mental health. While there are probably many things that every state can do to improve how it tackles mental health, Florida is especially behind when it comes to handling it. Florida spends $36.05 per capita in mental health services, making it 51st out of 52 jurisdictions when it comes to total mental health spending. This places it behind 49 states and Washington, D.C., marking it ahead only of Puerto Rico at $20.22 per capita.
So next time you read a headline starting off with “Florida Man,” keep in mind that while you’re likely to read a wild story, equally wild things are likely happening in your own state. You probably just don’t know about them.
Edited by Sam Olson
Amazing job! Barely any errors.