Flying journalism robots:In your skies soon

Trends in Communication & Information TechnologyJOUR 4871-003

Drones (a.k.a., Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) for journalists?

Parrot drone: $300iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch,

Android controlled.HD photos, video.

Range: 165 feet

Parrot drone: $380,with blade protector/indoor

hull.

Aeryon Scout drone: $30,000-$100,000Tablet controlled, map interface. ... Very quiet.

1.9 -mile range. ... 300-500’ ... 31mphTested up top 13,000’ above sea level.Tap on map waypoints; drone flies route.

“Follow me” mode.Button push for drone to return “home.”

Uses: Monitored Gulf BP oil spill;aerial spying by Libyan rebels.

Affordable high-end photo/video drone: $5,000

GPS and routing software

2 operators: 1st for flight, 2nd for photo control

Used by “Top Gear” BBC car show for aerial shots(cheaper than old method: renting helicopter)

Someday soon: Pilotless TV-news choppers

Schiebel Corporation’s Camcopter

$400,000

Fly up to 18,000 feet

Speed up to 240 km per hour

Today: Dad’s drone stalks his kid

The news potential of drones: An example

New Scientist Tech, February 2012

SHOW DROUGHT VIDEO

Cool...

Can carry various cameras (smartphones, DSLRs, etc.)

Fly over wildfire to get photos, video footage (if allowed!)

Fly over tornado-, hurricane-devastated city or area

Fly over inaccessible flooded areas

Fly over protest; better estimate of crowd size

Useful for war correspondents; film in unsafe areas

Carry various sensors (e.g., radiation sensor over nuclear-plant accident area)

GPS ... Night-vision capability

Expensive drones also can fly pre-set route themselves; take photos/video where told to ... then fly back on their own

Inexpensive drones “piloted” by tablet or smartphone

Not cool ...Safety issues flying over people (legal liability for injuries, etc.)

Avoid real airplanes (geese have caused jet crashes ... could small drone?)

People’s fear of “flying robots” ... “Big Brother”

Privacy invasion concerns (e.g., Seattle Police drone blowback)

Ethics issues: Journalists using drones need to settle on acceptable conduct

Someone might shoot it down (annoyed citizen; protester thinking it’s police or government watching; hunters already have shot down drones of animal-protection activists)

U.S. FAA regulations

Small drones OK for “hobbyists” but not commercial users

Drone licenses can be had by:• Universities• The military• Government agencies• Police departments

Activists, non-profits? ... Law is squishy

Not legal to use for commercial journalism (yet)

Only in open areas (no people or structures nearby)

No higher than 400 feet (500 feet up is commercial airspace)

No closer than 3 miles from an airport

Who will be able to fly drones next?

Law-enforcement agencies: FAA accommodating them first

Law-enforcement drone:• Weight limit: 25 pounds• Can fly in controlled airspace

Journalism drones (US) not likely legal till 2015• Congress gave FAA till 2015 to finalize rules, regulations

affecting drone use by commercial entities

Commercial interests lobbying hard for legal OK

Commercial drones expected to become huge business• Railroads, pipelines, power lines: check condition at low cost• Farmers, ranchers: check on crops, animals

Journalism may sneak in with commercial approval

Legal considerations

Legal to photograph/video in public airspace (above others’ property) ... US privacy law allows, for now• Drones legal in Australia: hobbyists unregulated, commercial

must be licensed • “Mostly” legal in China

At what height? ... 300-400 feet, probably OK ... hover directly over a house, very low, probably not

Paparazzi: Huge potential for abuse! What’s legal?• Drone above celebrity wedding• Drone peers in celebrity’s hotel-room window• Drone follows (stalks) celebrity

Legal precedent will be needed

At least we can discuss prior to technology being in the air!

First draft of a drone journalism code of ethics

Drone journalism resources

Drone Journalism Lab - University of Nebraska at Lincolnhttp://dronejournalismlab.org

Mental Munition Laboratory bloghttp://mentalmunition.com

DromeJournalism.org