We’re back with another Transparency Corner, and it’s just in time for Sunshine Week. If you’ve never heard of it, you’re not alone. It’s a week that celebrates something critical to news organizations like Central Florida Public Media-- access to public records and open government. Sunshine Week is celebrated across the country, and yes, also here, where Florida’s Government in the Sunshine laws are actually enshrined into the state Constitution.
Now, before we really jump in, let me introduce myself. I’m Central Florida Public Media Health Reporter Joe Mario Pedersen, and having access to data collected by the government is imperative for me to keep you all informed.
Florida has a positive reputation for open records, open government, and transparency, but the Sunshine has dimmed a bit here. Oh sure, that Florida sun does not quit, but it does seem like there are a few clouds casting some shade.
I say this specifically with regard to Florida’s public health agencies. Part of my job as a health reporter is to keep my eye on Florida public health policies and diseases that healthcare providers must report if suspected or diagnosed.
Earlier this year, measles cases began popping up in Florida at alarming levels. We know that because Florida has a great tool available online that keeps track of reportable diseases (like measles) that updates every week. The tool offers information on how many cases each county is reporting and when it was reported.
That’s great information that the public can use to help protect themselves.
But what advice is the Florida Department of Health in Osceola County offering residents after last week, when the first case of measles since 2011 was reported?
We asked, and this is what the department said:
“Thanks for reaching out with your question about the measles case. The most up-to-date information is available through the FLCharts.”
I know that. In fact, that’s how I know there are measles cases. I didn’t respond with that, but I want you to know that I really wanted to.
I asked for a follow-up and reinforced the question of what advice it offers.
I have yet to hear back.
While this isn’t a direct Sunshine Law violation, it does fly in the face of open government and transparency, which is what Sunshine laws are all about.
And let me be clear, this is not an Osceola County issue. This is, unfortunately, a common type of response I’ve seen repeatedly with the Florida Department of Health. Despite Florida reporting 132 cases of measles, the third highest in the county and despite the fact that Florida has reported more cases in the first two months of this year than in any other year, the DOH has issued no notices or public advisories.
It used to, though.
The latest press release I could find from the department for a measles outbreak came from Broward County in 2024, when it documented six cases, many of which occurred in a City of Weston elementary school.
The press release said that an investigation was underway and that it was working to identify contacts that were at risk of transmission.
In fairness, there is information about the measles outbreak currently in Collier County (98 cases) on the FDOH website. Collier has the most cases in the state. The webpage states that the department is providing additional resources to monitor the area, and it leaves suggestions on what to do to prevent transmission. However, the FDOH does not list its information under a health advisory, and the word “outbreak” is noticeably missing.
I point this out because in 2024, the department released a statement concerning the cases in southeast Florida.
“Unfortunately, the measles cases in Florida have received disproportionate attention for political reasons,” the release said.
“The national medical health establishment and the media lost the public’s confidence with their botched response to COVID-19. Conversely, Florida, under the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis, has set the standard for public health with evidence-based leadership.”
The concern I have is the lack of public access to that evidence. Despite being the Sunshine State, with famous “Sunshine Laws,” Florida’s Department of Health denies most of my requests for information by either becoming non-responsive, telling me the records can’t be released, or that there are no records.
Measles is hardly the only roadblock I’ve been met with. Recently, Orange County experienced a Legionella outbreak. There were 58 cases between November and December. That’s a lot in Orange County. In 2024, it reported 56 cases for the whole year. In 2025, with the autumn outbreak, the county reported a total of 107 cases – the most it has ever reported on its public archive.
What’s unclear is whether the outbreak is ongoing.
Case numbers are way down compared to December, but so far, there have been 16 people diagnosed this year. Since 1992, the county has had a yearly average case count of 19.5. I asked the department if an investigation was ongoing. They told me the case was closed and sent a letter from their lawyer denying that any information was available to the public.
Orange has not released any advisories regarding the ongoing cases.
I’ve been making records requests to the department since I arrived at Central Florida Public Media nearly four years ago. I have 10 outstanding record requests. That may not sound like a lot, but most of those are over a year old. One of them is more than 2 years old.
I follow up on these requests, and I’ve been told a team is working on them for me. However, this is the third communications director at the department who has told me this in the last two years.
What’s more perplexing are some of the roadblocks to getting these records. Some records come with a price for the work that clerks have to put in to search and send the records.
That’s fair.
What’s a little less fair is how that price is calculated sometimes. It’s pretty standard if a request costs over $100. But I’ve seen it get much higher.
I once asked the department for a list of record requests made to the department in a single month. I think I actually broke a record (at least in our newsroom) for the cost of this request when we were told it was gonna cost over $3 million.
Yup, you read that right. I don’t know exactly how much my arm and leg are worth, but I think the idiom doesn’t quite make the cut for this bill.
The department said there were over 800 items, and they were valued at over $3 million.
I challenge any journalist reading this to send me a records request price that tops that. The most I’ve ever heard prior was $10,000, and that was considered a lot!
I responded as rationally as I could and asked if there was any way we could trim that WAY down.
The department never responded.
I want to be clear, for me, this isn’t about whether people working in these departments care. Most people I know don’t choose the careers we do or work the jobs we work for the money only.
Still, there has clearly been a change in how the department is operating regarding the public. I am told by journalism veterans that it wasn’t like this prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
What I can tell you is that while the Florida Department has not been very transparent with me, I’m going to continue making records requests and calling the communications department to see what progress has been made.
At the end of the day, however, this isn’t about me; it’s about the public good. And I believe a more informed society is able to make decisions that help keep people safe and strengthen democracy.
When Florida decides to step back into the Sunshine, I’ll be here. Until then, I’ll continue being a trained, professional pest!
