Nine-Year Old Reporter Defends Her Coverage of Homicide Case
A nine-year-old reporter, Hilde Kate Lysiak, who wrote about a suspected murder in Selinsgrove, Philadelphia is now defending her work after some locals negatively explained that a young girl shouldn’t be covering violent crimes and she should be playing with dolls, reported thegaurdian.com.
Hilde Kate Lysiak went to the scene to get the details, 150 miles northwest of Philadelphia, and posted a story and video clip on her website, OrangeStreetNews.com, according to bigstory.ap.org.
Soon after, her Facebook and YouTube were full of negative comments encouraging her to play with dolls, have a tea party and questioning her parents’ judgment. “It kind of gets me angry because just because I’m 9 doesn’t mean I can’t do a great story, it doesn’t mean I can’t be a reporter,” she stated in an interview with bigstory.ap.org.
Hilde gathered many of the comments she received online and retrieved her older sister and video camera. Then she took on her critics directly: “If you want me to stop covering news, then you get off your computers and do something about the news. There, is that cute enough for you?” Her sister edited it and posted it on YouTube as well as on their home page, according to washingtonpost.com.
Hilde has helped to run the Orange Street News since 2014. Her father, Matthew Lysiak, a former reporter for the New York Daily News, and her 12-year-old sister, Isabel Rose Lysiak, who is in charge of videos and photos. What started out as a newspaper for her family, written in crayon, has become a news source containing a website and Facebook page, explained bigstory.ap.org.
Joshua Sheldon • Apr 20, 2016 at 6:19 pm
Great job guys! I loved your article! I just think that it might be a little graphic for a 9 year old to right a report on a murder. She seems very mature for her age and knows what she wants to do. I hope that people keep supporting her. Great job guys! Thx, and keep up the good work!
Cissy Bai • Apr 14, 2016 at 5:39 pm
Cute little reporter, keep improving and reaching your goal. Nice writing guys, great job!