I’m Hilde Kate Lysiak, the publisher of the Orange Street News.
I am nine years old.
My story went viral this week when I responded to residents in my town who were upset that I was reporting on a serious crime, rather than doing – well, whatever it is they think nine-year-old girls should be doing.
Here’s what happened. On 2 April, there was a homicide in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. It took place just a few blocks from my house, where I run my newspaper.
I acted on a tip from a good source that I was able to get through some of my other reporting. After confirming with the police department, I then went straight to the scene and spoke to neighbors and got more information. I worked very hard.
Because of my work I was able to keep the people of Selinsgrove informed about this very important event hours before my competition even got to the scene.
In fact, some other news sites run by adults were reporting the wrong information or no information at all while the Orange Street News was at the scene doing the hard work to report the facts to the people.
In the hours that followed, many residents of Selinsgrove began making negative comments about me on my website and other social media sites. I understand that, as a reporter, the things I cover will sometimes make people mad. But these negative comments were not so much about the homicide I was covering, but the fact that I – a nine-year-old girl – was covering it at all.
Residents of Selinsgrove publicly called my work trash and told me I should leave it to the professionals. Other people told me I should stick to tea parties and playing with dolls.
Maybe that’s what the “professionals” were doing while I was working the scene, because they sure weren’t there. I have since found out that the police had asked the media not to run the story. I may be nine, but I have learned that my job as a reporter is to get the truth to the people. I work for them, not the police. I think that some people are angry that I didn’t follow along like everyone else.
My parents and I have also been warned that covering this story meant my reporting was no longer “cute”. I don’t think people should be able to decide for me who I should be and what I should be doing. I never began my newspaper so that people would think I was cute. I started the Orange Street News to give people the information they need to know.
I want to be taken seriously. I’m sure other kids do, too. Grownups usually treat kids like they cannot do anything great. If adults don’t think we can do something, then it is hard for us to believe that we can. And then how will we have great things in this world?
Kids should know that if they work hard, they can do amazing things. One time, I heard there was a robbery on my street. My source told me the robber tried to pop the window screen out. I found a house with a screen missing and spent a couple days knocking on the door. When the owner finally answered, it was the wrong house. (At least they became subscribers!) So I knocked on every other door of the block until I found the right one and was able to get my interview. Kids should know how amazing I felt when I finally got that story. It was like Christmas morning!
Some people have asked me if I thought people would have reacted differently if I were a boy. Maybe, maybe not. I could see them saying a boy should go and play with racing cars instead of how they told me to play with dolls. Or maybe they wouldn’t have said much at all. The thing is, I like playing with dolls, and having tea parties. I also think racing cars are really cool! Grownups shouldn’t assume that a kid – boy or girl – should be doing just one thing or another. Kids can do exceptional things and still be kids!
To everyone who has supported me (and there have been many): a huge thank you! To those of you who would rather I stay home and be playing tea parties, I say this:
Yes, I am a nine-year-old girl.
But I’m a reporter, first.
I report the news.
And so long as there is news to report in Selinsgrove, I’m going to continue trying my best to give the people the facts.
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.
Andrew Phillip Chernoff 