-Isms: Views on life in rural America

The search for the truth should be a top priority for a journalist. It’s a journalist’s responsibility to present factual information in a clear and precise manner.

Even when the reporter is nine years old.

I’m intrigued with Apple TV’s series, “Home Before Dark.” It’s a fictionalized take of real-life reporter, Hilde Lysiak, who, at nine years old, broke a local murder case in her self-published newspaper.

The show - part-mystery, part-drama, with a dose of comedy - shows Lysiak’s determination to show justice and truth work hand-in-hand.

In 2014, Lysiak started the Orange Street News, in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. When her family moved to Patagonia, Arizona, the paper made the move, too.

Her father, a journalist at the New York Daily News, would take Hilde to the newsroom, where her passion for reporting sparked.

In 2016, Lysiak was at the local police station in Selinsgrove, following up on a story, when she overheard officers talking about a murder which occurred a few blocks from her family’s home. She proceeded to the crime scene and, with the help of her father, produced an exclusive about the murder.

I’m almost finished with the first season of the miniseries. Here are a few takes from the show and from reading her online publication:

• Hilde carries a journal. It’s one of the best ways to capture ideas, ask questions, expand thoughts. While she does use some forms of technology, she relies on paper and pencil throughout the day. That’s important for anyone - the hand to brain connection made through writing boosts memory, as opposed to typing on a keyboard.

• Hilde relies on analytic skills. Sure, it’s a fictionalized account, so TV can make anyone look good, right? Take a look at the Orange Street News. This girl tackles sensitive subjects with an objective mind.

• Hilde shows she has journalistic ethics. She does not bend the truth to fit an agenda. If she makes a mistake, she owns it and does not place blame on others.

Hilde’s story and continued forays in journalism have my attention and I respect her work.