Nine-Year-Old Crime Reporter Breaks Big Story

The industrious young journalist, Kate Leziak, from the town of Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, received a tip from her source last week: "You might want to check out Ninth Street; there's a lot of police activity there." She hurried to the scene with her notebook and camera, and promptly published a brief online piece—before any other media had caught onto the story. Following extensive interviews with neighbors and police officers, she uncovered the full scoop on the murder that occurred in the area and published a detailed article accompanied by video footage from the crime scene. Her article was online before any local press could report on the story.

It's worth noting that this diligent reporter is only nine years old. She's the editor and publisher of a neighborhood paper called 'Orange Street News,' which she started at the age of seven. Her father, a former writer and journalist, used to take her on work tours since she was a toddler. She energetically covers all happenings in the town, including criminal activities that range from vandalism and graffiti to—of course—the murder on Ninth Street.

The young journalist Kate Leziak

Many who heard about the nine-year-old's scoop took to Facebook, raising concerns about her young age for covering crime stories, and questioned the judgment of her parents for allowing it. However, in a video filmed by her sister, Leziak confidently responds to critics: "If you don't want me covering news like this, get off your computers and do something to prevent these stories!"

Her father explained that his young daughter stumbled upon the murder story while conducting a thorough investigation into local acts of vandalism. "She heard that the police had caught the perpetrator of the vandalism, so she headed to the police station to get more details. The police chief told her he had to leave for something big that just happened. Intrigued, she quickly discovered where the incident occurred in a town of 5,000 people. Everyone knows and trusts her, providing her with information. She knocked on doors, much like she's seen me do, and uncovered the crime details."