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| Nine-year-old US reporter defiant after critics say 'go back to playing with dolls' | Nine-year-old US reporter defiant after critics say 'go back to playing with dolls' |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| A nine-year-old reporter who wrote about a suspected murder in her small Pennsylvania town has defended herself after some locals said a young girl should be “playing with dolls” and not covering serious crime. | A nine-year-old reporter who wrote about a suspected murder in her small Pennsylvania town has defended herself after some locals said a young girl should be “playing with dolls” and not covering serious crime. |
| Hilde Kate Lysiak, who has been running the Orange Street News newspaper and website since 2014, got a tip on Saturday afternoon about police being called to an incident in Selinsgrove, a town about 150 miles (240km) north-west of Philadelphia. | Hilde Kate Lysiak, who has been running the Orange Street News newspaper and website since 2014, got a tip on Saturday afternoon about police being called to an incident in Selinsgrove, a town about 150 miles (240km) north-west of Philadelphia. |
| Related: Yes, I’m nine. But I’m still a serious reporter | Hilde Kate Lysiak | |
| She went to the scene to get the details and posted a story and video clip on her website later that day under the headline “Exclusive: murder on Ninth Street!”. | She went to the scene to get the details and posted a story and video clip on her website later that day under the headline “Exclusive: murder on Ninth Street!”. |
| The story said a man was suspected of killing his wife with a hammer and included quotes from neighbours and police. | The story said a man was suspected of killing his wife with a hammer and included quotes from neighbours and police. |
| Soon after, her Facebook page and YouTube channel were clogged with negative comments urging her to “play with dolls” and have a tea party, and questioning her parents’ judgment in letting her do such work. | Soon after, her Facebook page and YouTube channel were clogged with negative comments urging her to “play with dolls” and have a tea party, and questioning her parents’ judgment in letting her do such work. |
| Sean Christine, the former mayor of Selinsgrove, said the story was “sensationalist trash”. | Sean Christine, the former mayor of Selinsgrove, said the story was “sensationalist trash”. |
| On Tuesday, Hilde responded to the criticism. | On Tuesday, Hilde responded to the criticism. |
| “It kind of gets me angry because, just because I’m nine doesn’t mean I can’t do a great story,” she said. “It doesn’t mean I can’t be a reporter.” | “It kind of gets me angry because, just because I’m nine doesn’t mean I can’t do a great story,” she said. “It doesn’t mean I can’t be a reporter.” |
| In a video posted on her website she said: “I know this makes some of you uncomfortable, and I know some of you just want me to sit down and be quiet because I’m nine. | In a video posted on her website she said: “I know this makes some of you uncomfortable, and I know some of you just want me to sit down and be quiet because I’m nine. |
| “But if you want me to stop covering news, then you get off your computer and do something about the news. There, is that cute enough for you?” | “But if you want me to stop covering news, then you get off your computer and do something about the news. There, is that cute enough for you?” |
| In the video she read some of the negative comments aloud, including: “I am disgusted that this cute little girl thinks she is a real journalist. What happened to tea parties?” and “Nine-year-old girls should be playing with dolls, not trying to be reporters.” | In the video she read some of the negative comments aloud, including: “I am disgusted that this cute little girl thinks she is a real journalist. What happened to tea parties?” and “Nine-year-old girls should be playing with dolls, not trying to be reporters.” |
| Wearing a badge reading “I love free speech”, she giggled as she read out the comment: “You are nine fucking years old. Seriously, what the fuck is going on?” | Wearing a badge reading “I love free speech”, she giggled as she read out the comment: “You are nine fucking years old. Seriously, what the fuck is going on?” |
| She went on to defend her hard work. | She went on to defend her hard work. |
| “Because of my work, I was able to inform the people there was a terrible murder before my competitors got to the scene.” | “Because of my work, I was able to inform the people there was a terrible murder before my competitors got to the scene.” |
| As the story spread, her defiance was welcomed by commenters who hailed her determination as a victory for freedom of the press and called her a “hero”. | As the story spread, her defiance was welcomed by commenters who hailed her determination as a victory for freedom of the press and called her a “hero”. |
| “You go tiny newsperson, don’t let them get you down,” one poster wrote on YouTube. | “You go tiny newsperson, don’t let them get you down,” one poster wrote on YouTube. |
| Another wrote: “I see a Pulitzer in your future. Keep reporting the news! (And remember: if nobody gets upset, you’re not doing it right!) .” | Another wrote: “I see a Pulitzer in your future. Keep reporting the news! (And remember: if nobody gets upset, you’re not doing it right!) .” |
| Hilde gets some help from her father Matthew Lysiak, a former reporter for the New York Daily News, and her 12-year-old sister, Isabel Rose, who handles videos and photos. | Hilde gets some help from her father Matthew Lysiak, a former reporter for the New York Daily News, and her 12-year-old sister, Isabel Rose, who handles videos and photos. |
| What started out as a newspaper for her family, written in crayon, has become a community news source complete with website and Facebook page. | What started out as a newspaper for her family, written in crayon, has become a community news source complete with website and Facebook page. |
| In recent weeks, in short stories under headlines frequently punctuated with exclamation marks, she has reported on a possibly rabid skunk shot dead by police, several acts of vandalism, the many empty storefronts in downtown Selinsgrove and the removal of a Christmas wreath from a building after several years (under the headline “Christmas Finally over in Grove!”) | In recent weeks, in short stories under headlines frequently punctuated with exclamation marks, she has reported on a possibly rabid skunk shot dead by police, several acts of vandalism, the many empty storefronts in downtown Selinsgrove and the removal of a Christmas wreath from a building after several years (under the headline “Christmas Finally over in Grove!”) |
| Matthew Lysiak said on Tuesday the comments on his daughter’s stories are usually positive. | Matthew Lysiak said on Tuesday the comments on his daughter’s stories are usually positive. |
| “She was embraced when she was doing cuter stories, but about six months into writing the paper, she got more confident and started stepping outside the box,” Lysiak said. | “She was embraced when she was doing cuter stories, but about six months into writing the paper, she got more confident and started stepping outside the box,” Lysiak said. |
| Lysiak said Hilde caught the journalism bug when he worked for the Daily News and would occasionally take her along on the job. | Lysiak said Hilde caught the journalism bug when he worked for the Daily News and would occasionally take her along on the job. |
| “She found journalism really interesting, and my older daughter, too. They would ask lots of questions,” Lysiak said. | “She found journalism really interesting, and my older daughter, too. They would ask lots of questions,” Lysiak said. |
| She was normally unfazed by comments, he said. | She was normally unfazed by comments, he said. |
| “The tea party comment really lit a fuse under her,” her father said. “She was pretty annoyed by it all.” | “The tea party comment really lit a fuse under her,” her father said. “She was pretty annoyed by it all.” |
| Anne Carter, a licensed practical nurse in Selinsgrove, was among those who commented disapprovingly on Facebook of Hilde’s involvement in the story. | Anne Carter, a licensed practical nurse in Selinsgrove, was among those who commented disapprovingly on Facebook of Hilde’s involvement in the story. |
| “I think she’s very talented and her aspirations are great, but it’s probably a bigger case than a nine-year-old should handle,” Carter said. “Adults in the community are having trouble wrapping their heads around what happened. I can’t imagine how a nine-year-old can cover a story like that.” | “I think she’s very talented and her aspirations are great, but it’s probably a bigger case than a nine-year-old should handle,” Carter said. “Adults in the community are having trouble wrapping their heads around what happened. I can’t imagine how a nine-year-old can cover a story like that.” |
| Hilde is undeterred. When asked if she has a follow-up story in the works on the suspected homicide Hilde replied: “You’ll have to find out what happens in the next issue of the Orange Street News.” | Hilde is undeterred. When asked if she has a follow-up story in the works on the suspected homicide Hilde replied: “You’ll have to find out what happens in the next issue of the Orange Street News.” |
| Associated Press contributed to this report | Associated Press contributed to this report |