This series has featured two very special judges and a very talented editor. To complete the series, it seems appropriate to highlight another special woman who is a rather unusual editor. Her name is Anne Reiner, and she is the creator of the online magazine, On the Pulse (onthepulsenews.com). Its goal is to find people behind the policies and heart behind the issues in the greater Lycoming County area. It does not provide daily coverage or breaking news. Instead, it is feature-oriented, with an in-depth people focus.

Anne took a long path to arrive where she is today. She was born in Ohio, but her family moved to Trout Run when she was just one year old. The youngest of three, with two older brothers, she was homeschooled and then cyber schooled through high school. She learned well, and went on to study at Geneva College in Beaver Falls, PA. During her studies, Anne was able to secure internships in Washington, D.C. and New York City, eventually graduating with a degree in journalism. Anne was able to get a job with a lobbying organization in D.C., but she desperately wanted to get a job in journalism.

As much as these provided good experience, after a couple of years of this she was suffering from “big city stifle.” When the lobbying firm offered her a chance to work in New Mexico, Anne jumped at the chance. While there she freelanced for a small little newspaper and even picked up some extra money tending bar (which she loved, by the way). But even more, she loved the open spaces of the American West. However, as much as she was enjoying the Land of Enchantment, she still wanted to get that start she so coveted in the world of journalism. After applying to every small town paper on both coasts, and receiving no responses, her father saw an advertisement in a newspaper she was very familiar with — the Williamsport Sun-Gazette.
So, in 2015, Anne finally got her wish to be a real journalist. It caused her to see Williamsport in an entirely different way. Before it was just a place where she shopped or went to restaurants with her friends, but now peeling back the layers caused her to see beyond that and discover a community with real issues. Over time, Anne discovered that this discovery had created for her a connection with this community.

Though Anne did well with the Sun-Gazette, enjoying the colleagues she worked with and even becoming one of the paper’s editors, she had an itch she wanted to scratch. Anne wanted to create an avenue to tell local stories through a medium that build engagement in a younger audience. It bothered her that they had no news outlet outside of Facebook, which is hardly fact-based or guided in any way.

So, after a lot of sweat equity, on January 19th of this year, “On the Pulse” went online with a soft launch. Each week it has been getting better and better. Currently, there is an event listing featuring special activities, a “best of” series highlighting such things as the best places to walk a dog or find an internet connection, and a video feature. Right now there is one on a Penn College student performing sculpture welding.

Anne Reiner is a journalistic entrepreneur, who will be celebrating her 28th birthday this week. It is people like Anne who help us remember that you’re never too old to start learning, and you’re never too young to aim high and achieve great things.