If you haven’t heard of the 9-year-old reporter from Pennsylvania by now, you’re seriously missing out. Selinsgrove citizen Hilde Kate Lysiak has been reporting local news in her online paper, “The Orange Street News”, since 2014.

She’s been in headlines and Twitter feeds recently because of her recent article; a homicide in Selinsgrove. Her breaking news was posted on social media, where it was met with immediate discouragement. Past the comments about Lysiak’s impressive reporting skills are insults regarding her age and her involvement with such a graphic case.

Residents left comments saying she should leave the reporting to the professionals. Others suggested she go play with her dolls. Lysiak admits her parents talked with her about reporting a homicide. The consequences meant the public would no longer think her reporting was “cute”. Lysiak herself always wanted her reporting to be taken seriously, even if it meant backlash from adults.

As for the comments, Lysiak has addressed them with a news update:

“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.”

The Orange Street News continues to update their website. You can see their official website here – www.orangestreetnews.com