Hilde Lysiak

Hilde Kate Lysiak
Born Hilde Kate Lysiak
2006 (age 11–12)
Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York
Nationality American
Occupation Multimedia journalist, newspaper publisher, newspaper editor
Years active 2014 – present
Home town Selinsgrove, PA, U.S.
Parents
  • Matthew Lysiak (father)
  • Bridget Lysiak (mother)
Relatives sisters - Isabel, Georgia, and Juliet
Website http://orangestreetnews.com/

Hilde Kate Lysiak (/ˈliːʃæk/ LEE-shak; born 2006) is an American journalist and author who also publishes a local newspaper in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, the Orange Street News. She has been interviewed by Sheinelle Jones for The Today Show and by the Columbia Journalism Review. In April 2016 Lysiak reported on a suspected murder for her newspaper, that caused people on her Facebook page to critique her, because at the time of the story, she was 9 years old. Her response to her critics was picked up by several major media sources such as the Washington Post and The Guardian. In June 2016, she signed a book deal with Scholastic.[1] She is the youngest member of the Society of Professional Journalists.[2] In 2018 Apple announced that they will be producing a mystery series based on the life of Lysiak, Brooklynn Prince will play the role of Lysiak.

Early life

Her father Matthew Lysiak used to take Hilde to the newsroom while researching stories, during his time as a journalist for the New York Daily News. He stated that he "hooked her on the rush of chasing news." She states that of all the different kinds of stories, "crime is her favorite." This is what she wants to do with the rest of her life.[3] Her father told Today Show host Sheinelle Jones "she loves it... I don't really want to get in the way of her passion."[4]

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?[5]

Lysiak strongly defends the right for children to have a voice:

Kids should know that if they work hard, they can do amazing things.[6]

Orange Street News

The Orange Street News (OSN) was founded by Lysiak in 2014 with the assistance of her father, Matthew Lysiak, who was an author[7] and a reporter for the New York Daily News until his move back to his hometown in Selinsgrove.[3] The OSN's byline is The ONLY Newspaper Devoted to Selinsgrove.[8] The first news item for the OSN was an exclusive story announcing the birth of Lysiak's baby sister, Juliet.[3][7] The newspaper originally started out as a family newspaper written in crayon and grew to include a Facebook page and a website.[5]

On April 2, 2016, Lysiak was at the police station asking the police about the conclusion of a vandalism case she was following, when she overheard the police chief state that he had to leave because something important was happening. Lysiak quickly discovered that the call was for a murder that was only a few blocks away from her home. She went to the crime scene and then hurried home to give her father a short report which he edited and posted on the website with the headline, "EXCLUSIVE: MURDER ON NINTH STREET". She then returned to the murder scene and shot a short video for the paper's website and YouTube channel. Lysiak scooped her competitors by several hours.[3]

Lysiak is assisted by her older sister Isabel, who edits articles, posts videos and writes a kids' column for a local newspaper, The Daily Item.[3] Her father talks with Lysiak about her stories and occasionally helps tighten up a lede, but mostly leaves her in the driver's seat. "The minute I get too involved," he says, "it's not a kid's paper anymore.".[9]

According to the paper's website as of April 2016, one-year print subscriptions are available for $14.99. Subscribers must send check, cash or can pay by PayPal. Subscribers outside the USA are encouraged.[10]

Lysiak was mentioned in the January 2017 issue of National Geographic with an article titled "I Am Nine Years Old". In that article, she was named a journalist from Selingsgrove, Pennsylvania, who

rides her neighborhood on a pink and silver bike, hunting for news—all the while suspecting that a boy reporter might "get more information from the police."[11]

Author Peter Singer in a interview with Ian Masters stated that we are not going to go back to the days of Walter Cronkite "we are eliminating gatekeepers" and instead the "gatekeepers" will be everyone telling their story. Singer mentions two characters in his book LikeWar one of which is Lysiak that illustrates this "shift" in journalism.[12]

Defends crime reporting

Immediately after reporting on the April 2nd, 2016 murder, the OSN's Facebook page was flooded with negative comments about a 9-year old covering a murder scene. Commenters were challenging her parents' choices to allow a child to "pretend to be a reporter" others stated that she should be playing with a tea set or with dolls. Lysiak responded that she normally does not read the comments, but felt that she should respond to the negativity from her readers. She read out several of the comments on video to her sister, and then they posted the video on their website and on YouTube.[5]

A neighbor woman died violently. The police suspected that her husband had murdered his wife with a hammer. Lysiak received a tip and went to the scene.[13] In her story, Lysiak included quotes from neighbors and police. Critics felt that this kind of story was too gruesome for a 9-year-old to report on. Lysiak responded:

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.[14]

Lysiak in a interview for Brit+Co, Lysiak stated that her "favorite beat is crime. My second favorite beat is crime. And my third favorite beat is crime! Covering crime is like solving a giant moving puzzle. The job of a crime reporter might be the best job in the world."[15]

Apple series

In 2018 Apple announced that they will be producing a mystery series based on the life of Lysiak. Brooklynn Prince will play the role of Lysiak. The show will follow a young girl from Brooklyn who solves a cold case in a small lakeside town that her father and the rest of the town residents wanted hidden. "The series is created and executive produced by Dana Fox and Dara Resnik. Joy Gorman Wettels and Sharlene Martin also executive produce. Jon M. Chu will direct and executive produce. The series is produced by Anonymous Content and Paramount Television."[16]

Awards and honors

In 2016 Lysiak and her sister, Isabel Rose Lysiak, were recipients of a Tribeca Disruptive Innovations Award.[17] Honorees are "leading innovators not only in the technology and industrial sectors but also in the non-traditional areas that are desperately in need of innovation to help solve intractable problems...honorees [are] diverse; what all have in common is that they are creating new business models and disrupting the status quo."[18]

Lysiak also had the honor of interviewing Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Malala Yousafzai, during a visit to Providence, R.I.[19] and reacted by donating all the advertising revenue from her newspaper, the Orange Street News, for a month[20] to the Malala Fund[21] which promotes female education.

Books and television show

Lysiak has signed a deal with Scholastic publishing to co-write four books with her father, Matthew Lysiak. The series will be called "Hilde Cracks the Case."[22] The books' main characters will be based on Lysiak and her sister and photographer, Izzy, with fictionalized versions of real stories that Lysiak has written.[1] Paramount Television and Anonymous Content are also developing a television show based on the book and have optioned Lysiak's life story.[23][24]

Other activities

In March 2016, Lysiak began a GoFundMe site to raise $40,000 in order for her borough in Selinsgrove to hire an additional police officer. Lysiak felt that there is an increase in vandalism in her area and having another police officer would be welcome. She is planning on keeping the funding site active even after she reaches the goal of $40,000, saying, "two officers are better than one." According to WNEP news station, borough manager Paul Williams said the borough is planning on hiring another police officer, and has set aside the money in its budget. Lysiak will be attending the borough council meeting to discuss her agenda.[25] On April 5, 2016 the OSN reported that a new police officer had been hired for the borough. Mayor Jeff Reed stated that they have someone selected, but the hire date has not been announced.[26]

In 2015, Lysiak stated for the Columbia Journalism Review that she does not want to work for a newspaper someday, she wants to own her own newspaper.[9]

References

  1. 1 2 Kickham, Dylan (2016-06-30). "9-year-old crime reporter Hilde Lysiak signs major book deal". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2016-09-09.
  2. ↑ Gutierrez, Anna (2017-11-02). "SPJ's youngest member proves journalism is for anyone with the drive to do it". Quill. Society of Professional Journalists. Retrieved 2017-11-17.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Jackman, Tom. "9-year-old reporter breaks crime news, posts videos, fires back at critics". The Washington Post. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  4. ↑ Murray, Elizabeth. "Meet Hilde Lysiak, Pennsylvania's 8-year-old newspaper reporter". Parents. Today. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 DeGroot, Kristen (April 6, 2016). "Reporter, 9, defends crime coverage". San Jose Mercury News. Associated Press.
  6. ↑ "Yes, I'm a nine-year-old girl. But I'm still a serious reporter". The Guardian. 2016-04-06. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2016-09-09.
  7. 1 2 "About Matthew Lysiak". Matthew Lysiak. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  8. ↑ "Home Page". The Orange Street News. WordPress. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  9. 1 2 Pompeo, Joe. "Is this 8-year-old's newspaper better than yours?". Columbia Journalism Review. Columbia Journalism School. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  10. ↑ "Want the OSN Delivered to your door for $14.99!". The Orange Street News. WordPress. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  11. ↑ Conant, Eve (January 2017). "I Am Nine Years Old". "National Geographic". National Geographic Society. ISSN 0027-9358.
  12. ↑ Singer, Peter. "Full Program - October 11, 2018". KPFK Ian Masters. Soundcloud. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
  13. ↑ "9-year-old reporter defends homicide coverage after backlash". Associated Press. 2016-04-05. Retrieved 2016-09-09.
  14. ↑ Walters, Joanna. "Hilde Lysiak: 'Just because I'm nine doesn't mean I can't do a great story'". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  15. ↑ "Future Women of America: Young women making bold moves". Brit+Co. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
  16. ↑ Otterson, Joe. "'Florida Project' Star Cast in Lead Role of Apple's Hilde Lysiak Series". Home TV News. Variety. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
  17. ↑ "TDIA". www.tribecadisruptiveinnovationawards.com. Retrieved 2016-09-09.
  18. ↑ "Honorees – TDIA". www.tribecadisruptiveinnovationawards.com. Retrieved 2016-09-09.
  19. ↑ Naylor, Donita. "Youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner, Malala, brings message to Providence + video". Retrieved 2016-09-09.
  20. ↑ "OSN To Donate %100 Sept Advert Money to Malala Fund!". Orange Street News. WordPress. 2 August 2016. Retrieved 2016-09-09.
  21. ↑ "Malala Fund". www.malala.org. Retrieved 2016-09-09.
  22. ↑ "Hilde Kate Lysiak, 9-year-old crime reporter from Pennsylvania, lands a book deal". Washington Post. Retrieved 2016-09-09.
  23. ↑ "Paramount to film TV show based on 9-year-old crime reporter Hilde Kate Lysiak". Washington Post. Retrieved 2016-09-09.
  24. ↑ Wagmeister, Elizabeth (2016-08-25). "Paramount TV, Anonymous Content Nab Rights to 9-Year-Old Reporter Hilde Lysiak's Books (EXCLUSIVE)". Retrieved 2016-09-09.
  25. ↑ Krize, Nikki. "9 Year Old Raising Money for New Cop". WNEP. ABC. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  26. ↑ Lysiak, Hilde Kate. "Grove Chooses New Cop". The Orange Street Press. WordPress. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
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