Hilde with Malala and Ziauddin in July 2016.

Since starting her newspaper at age 7, Hilde's investigative journalism challenges conventional roles for girls and inspires fans all over the world.

If you’re going to underestimate 10-year-old journalist Hilde, she has some advice for you: “Go ahead, but do it at your own risk.”

Three years ago, the burgeoning reporter started The Orange Street News — “The ONLY newspaper devoted to Selinsgrove — in her hometown in Pennsylvania. She regularly scoops larger local outlets by breaking major stories, including a murder last year, a recent scandal at the fire department and the emergence of a drug epidemic at the high school.

We spoke with Hilde about what she’s been up to in the past year, the importance of education and how she responds to critics who say girls should be “playing with dolls” instead of reporting the news.

Tess Thomas (TT): Tell us about The Orange Street News and your passion for journalism.

Hilde (H): The Orange Street News is the only paper that exclusively covers Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. I began the paper when I was 7 years old. It started out just about my family, but it grew. I was first to break the story that there was a murder in my town last year. I’ve written hundreds of stories and broken a lot of big stories that the adult media missed.

Just this week I broke a scandal at the local fire department and exclusively reported about hard drugs coming into the high school. I’m proud of my work and I believe my articles make a real difference in my community. Hundreds of thousands of people read my stories.

TT: Has anyone ever tried to stop you from getting a story or said you were too young to be a reporter?

H: Oh yeah — at first people would simply tell me: “You should be playing with dolls or having tea parties.” Now it’s different. I think I’ve proven myself through my work. People see me out in town, working hard every day. Once I understood that when people look down at me because I’m not 30 or because I’m a girl that it only says something about them — then it became a lot easier for me to deal with.

TT: Why is education important to you and important in achieving your ambitions?

H: Education isn’t a good thing. Education is the ONLY thing. My dad worked as a reporter in New York City. I used to go along with him all the time. I didn’t realise, but it was such a great education. It was always an adventure. I wasn’t the best student in school, but I am great at learning when I see it done and get to do it. But now I’m trying to improve my writing. That is a different kind of adventure and to be honest not nearly as fun. But without education, I wouldn’t be much different than an aardvark. I could find ants and maybe survive, but I wouldn’t be happy or have the Orange Street News or be making a difference in my community. Or met Malala! I know I have so much to still learn and I never want to stop learning. I hope when I turn 100 years old I’m still learning and asking questions.

TT: What was it like to meet and interview Malala?