For "Trends in Communication & Information Technology," JOUR 4871-003, fall 2012, CU-Boulder

1. Flying journalism robots:
In your skies soon
Trends in Communication & Information Technology
JOUR 4871-003

2. Drones (a.k.a., Unmanned AerialVehicles) for journalists?
Parrot drone: $300
iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch,
Android controlled.
HD photos, video.
Range: 165 feet
Aeryon Scout drone: $30,000-$100,000
Tablet controlled, map interface. ...Very quiet.
1.9 -mile range. ... 300-500’ ... 31mph
Tested up top 13,000’ above sea level.
Tap on map waypoints; drone flies route.
“Follow me” mode. Parrot drone: $380,
Button push for drone to return “home.” with blade protector/indoor
Uses: Monitored Gulf BP oil spill; hull.
aerial spying by Libyan rebels.

3. 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)

4. 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

5. Today: Dad’s drone stalks his kid

6. The news potential of drones: An example
New Scientist Tech, February 2012
SHOW DROUGHT VIDEO

7. 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

8. 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)

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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!

13. First draft of a drone journalism code of ethics

14. Drone journalism resources
Drone Journalism Lab - University of Nebraska at Lincoln
http://dronejournalismlab.org
Mental Munition Laboratory blog
http://mentalmunition.com
DromeJournalism.org