Hallie Golden’s quick reporting secured dramatic eyewitness video and a key interview after a business jet crashed onto a Texas highway, driving strong client usage and audience engagement. While confirming details of the crash, she identified compelling footage showing motorists rushing to rescue passengers from the burning wreckage. Working on a tight deadline late in the day, Golden strategically focused on the strongest UGC video, carefully verifying the uploader as the original witness. She reached out across multiple platforms, combining persistence with empathy by acknowledging the trauma they had experienced before requesting permission to use the footage. As she monitored local news, police updates and an anticipated press conference, her efforts paid off: the witness responded and signed AP’s UGC release. Within minutes, Golden published the initial story featuring the dramatic rescue footage and firsthand account. The story became one of AP’s most-viewed pieces, and the interview later served as the foundation for a widely promoted follow-up narrative on the rescuers.
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