Hilde Kate Lysiak

Offering some hope for the future and the protection of free speech, enters Hilde Kate Lysiak, a young journalist from a small town in central Pennsylvania.

Now 12 years old, Lysiak is the editor and publisher of the Orange Street News, “The ONLY Newspaper Devoted to Selinsgrove (and wherever else [she] travel[s]).” Lysiak first made national headlines in 2016 when, at the age of 9, she broke exclusive news of a murder in her town. Her headline read, “EXCLUSIVE: MURDER ON NINTH STREET!”

News of her reporting went viral. Many praised her work, impressed by her dedication to the craft of shoe-leather reporting. But she was also met with critics and trolls on social media arguing that a “cute” 9-year-old girl should be playing with dolls, not reporting on crimes.

Unshaken by the attacks, Lysiak issued a video response: “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?” she moved past the noise and got back to covering the news, and continues to cover stories of theft, drug busts, snow storms and even a missing cat.

In February Lysiak made national headlines again when she got into an altercation with a state marshal while doing some reporting in Patagonia, Arizona, near the border with Mexico. The marshal stopped her and allegedly threatened to “throw her into juvie” for following and recording law enforcement, and potentially publishing the video online.

But, as Lysiak correctly pointed out, recording a law enforcement officer in a public place is protected under the First Amendment.

 Following the incident and the subsequent media attention, the mayor of Patagonia issued an apology to Lysiak. She replied on Twitter, “Now it is over. I want to thank Patagonia Mayor Wood and the Town. This wasn't just about me but about the First Amendment rights of every citizen, especially those who unlike me don't have a microphone. Now I just want to get back to covering the news.”

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