Billed as an exclusive by ITV Anglia regional news last night, the footage of the attack on a jewellery shop in Northampton was described in the Guardian's write-up as "a film that instantly became an internet viral clip".
It's only a minute and-a-half of footage, but it acts as a salutary reminder of a number of key points:
First, local is good. And local TV 'exclusives' still make network news (the clip was shown on ITV's Daybreak this morning).
Second, the clip is telling a story. The story is simple but the central character is all-powerful. Only a few seconds in, the viewer is mapping all sorts of emotions onto the brave pensioner. This is a classic tale of good against evil.
Third, don't underestimate the ladle-full of good fortune dripping from this particular incident. Someone with a camera was there at this particular moment to record a collection of less-than-bright robbers executing their plan. And, just as that reality sinks in, here comes the pensioner to complete the picture. Some things just can't be planned.
And that's the painful truth about user-generated content. Every now and again you'll find gold dust. It will be when you're least expecting it. At that moment you've got to act quickly and apply all the usual journalistic checks when you're champing at the bit to get this exciting 'content' out.
And - even more painfully - when you're waiting for another gem like this to come in, it almost certainly won't.
