The idea behind this “Leaders in Our Neighborhood” (LION) column is to highlight people in our community who do extraordinary things but fly below many folks’ radar. I have wanted to feature Anne Reiner for several years, ever since we sat down in Backhouse Cafe on 4th Street in Williamsport (another place that needs to get more attention), and she pitched her idea of a different kind of news media. Anne envisioned a website that would talk about things going on in our area that others did not want to touch. As a young lady in her late twenties, she hoped that such a site would tap into millennials, as well as others who would appreciate raw truth.
That idea birthed OnthePulsenews.com, which is described on their site — “On the PULSE is a team of dedicated journalists intent on bringing quality, in-depth reporting to the Central Pennsylvania region. We are dedicated to helping create informed readers who engage with their community. That means not white-washing the issues. Not bowing to big government. And not ignoring the struggles that affect you and your neighbors.”
That site description is not hyperbole either. In June/July of 2019, the site featured a heart-gripping series on human trafficking. Last summer, there was a six-part series on homelessness in Williamsport. She has used videography to cover hot topics such as “Kids in Crime” and “World of Reentry (from prison).” Whatever the subject, Anne is focused on accuracy and quality. All of this costs money, of course, and Anne and her partner Noah Beiter developed a way to finance their project by marketing the idea for a series ahead of time and using sponsors to fund that particular series. The result is a cutting-edge medium that has nowhere to go but up.
The brainchild of this media miracle is a local homeschooled country girl from Trout Run who went to Geneva University to major in journalism. More than writing itself, Anne loved research and was good at it, so after graduating in 2013, she decided to take her talents far and wide. She did various jobs and internships in New York City, Washington, D.C., and as far away as New Mexico. Her bio features listing from the Longview News-Journal in Texas, the Herald-Palladium in St Joseph, Missouri, the leading news site in Northern Virginia, InsideNoVa, and even to the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
But Anne had a vision that she wanted to do in her own backyard, and On the Pulse is the result. She is so good at this work because Anne genuinely enjoys hearing people’s stories and then telling that story in the best way possible. Anne is an excellent writer, but her media preference is videography. This is more than just taking pictures or movies; but creating short documentaries, preferably with those being interviewed telling their own story in their own words. Anne’s ability to get her interviewees to share such personal experiences is quite extraordinary. She does not like to tiptoe around a topic. She explains her intentions to a person she wants to interview, determines where they are, and goes from there. Her features are testimony to her success. And Anne is not standing still but seeking to expand the site with bi-weekly history topics of the region and arts and culture features, as well as sharing content with other outlets for greater exposure. It is hoped that individuals and organizations that wish to expand their goodwill would partner up with On the Pulse financially to make these upcoming projects come to fruition.
That grit to not just persevere but continue to grow and expand is evidenced by Anne’s photo on the “Our Team!” page on the On the Pulse website. She is wearing a repelling outfit, and the photo was taken while she was hanging off the side of a building. Anne has been “hanging around” very well, and our region greatly benefits as a result.
