Hilde Kate Lysiak: Intrepid Reporter

Sellinsgrove, PA has a newspaper in print and on the net. Recently, there was a homicide in that small town of just over 5,000 in Central Pennsylvania.

The Orange Street News covered that homicide. This newspaper published the story before any other news outlet. The story was either reported later, not at all or with errors by other news agencies. A good scoop, the paper covers a lot of vandalism (as it is the most common crime in the town, at about 268 cases a year source ). I read through the online version, and it was a lot more interesting than my local paper.

What makes this all the more fascinating, is the reporter on this story and head of the newspaper: Hilde Kate Lysiak is 9 years old.

Here is the story: Murder on Ninth Street!

Not a lot of nine year olds could pull this off. Her father was formerly a reporter for the NY daily news and she would accompany him to cover stories. Being a journalist became her dream and she is living it.

What followed though, from some adults: Outrage. Outrage for what you may ask? That her parents allowed her to write about a murder. A t this point, I think she has the presence of mind to do so. But keyboard warriors will come from out of the woodwork.

I am outraged as she reads some things adults posted on social media:




I notice that one of these posts is from former Sellinsgrove Mayor, Sean Christine. SMH.

There is more on CNN

Diana Graber, founder of Cyber Civics, a digital citizenship and literacy curriculum for middle school, also believes the supervision of Hilde's journalist father is key. She applauds the girl for her "positive and proactive use of digital tools" and questions why there's outrage about a 9-year-old covering a homicide but not over what other kids are doing online.

Here is the OP ED she wrote for The Guardian

And for those of you who think I need to mind my place, I’ll make you a deal. You get off your computer and do something to stop all the crime going on in my town and I’ll stop reporting on it. Until then, I’m going to keep doing my job.

This is the kind of journalism we need.