Opinion

Nine-year-old reporter challenges status quo

A 9-year-old girl in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, is a reporter who runs her own newspaper called the Orange Street News. Hilde Kate Lysiak received a tip about a murder in her town, confirmed it with police then did some journalism and investigation. She interviewed neighbors and gathered other information before publishing a story about the event.

However, she has critics who told her to "stick to tea parties and playing with dolls." Some good old 21st century progressiveness I see. Many similar comments were made on her Facebook page—by adults. These adults are 'digitally shaming' another human being on the Internet for following her passion.

She broke the story first. The 'professionals' are just salty she beat them to the punch.

"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," Lysiak wrote in an op-ed on The Guardian's website.

Shots fired, some might say.

Even though she is only 9, she wants to be taken as seriously as anyone else. In the face of such criticism, she has taken it better than most adults would have. Just see how Donald Trump reacts to people making fun of his 'tiny hands' for example.

"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."