Drone Journalism

FLYABLES

General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper ($4 million)

When you hear drone, you think …

Or worse …

dji Phantom - $450

But they also come in peace

Some are made of styrofoam

• A.R. Drone 2.0.

• Can fly up to 200 meters.

• Real-time high defvideo feed.

• Promo video: http://ardrone2.parrot.com/ardrone-2/hd-camera-720p/

DJI Inspire

http://www.dji.com/product/inspire-1

Why are we talking about drones?

• FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 – “The Drone law” – makes it legal to fly in federal air space for commercial reasons by Sept. 30, 2015.

• FAA projects that 30,000 drones could be in the nation’s skies by 2020.

• FAA working on rules and licensing procedures.

Sports

• Manley Field House flights

• http://youtu.be/N8mWTTSYt7s

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQFqsPvI-QA

Lots of other uses

• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/04/stunning-drone-videos_n_5579199.html

UNL in India

• http://benkreimer.com/aerial-video-photography/baroda-open-soccer-video/

GPS-aware dronesPlot course, send it off, collect footage.

3D Mapping• Sensefly

• https://www.sensefly.com/home.html

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvimQq1zvoM

What will drones be used for?

• Police: surveillance.

• Personal photography.

– Me: inspecting ice buildup on my roof.

– Sports teams: to cover games.

• Farmers: to monitor crops at lower cost.

• FedEx: unmanned planes delivering packages to airports (not your back yard … yet).

FedEx’s plan

TV and Film

• On September, FAA announced it had approved certain uses of drones for film and television productions.

• Only 6 productions granted so far.

Keeping law enforcement accountable.

Occupy Wall Street’s “Occucopter”

And journalism!

(with a few caveats)

Regulatory environment in U.S. is murky, but apparently not in

Italy.

Good candidates for journalism

• Anything that currently requires a helicopter.

– Saves hundreds of dollars per hour.

• Aerial views of forest fires, storm damage.

• Aerial videos of government crackdowns on free speech (protests).

• Sporting events.

• Environmental stories.

• What are your ideas?

60 Minutes used drones for a piece on salvage operation of the Costa Concordia cruise ship in Italy in December, 2012.

60 Minutes

http://cbsn.ws/VKzLrH

http://www.dronejournalismlab.org/post/34363827984/how-we-used-a-drone-to-cover-drought

http://www.dronejournalismlab.org/post/34098205205/nebraska-is-seeing-a-drought-worse-than-the-dust

University of Nebraska’s first story

http://bit.ly/RqSk48

Not in the U.S. YET …

• Within the U.S. there are ample opportunities for drone journalism, but many will need to wait until the FAA guidelines in 2015.

• The Daily got in trouble in 2011 after getting some spectacular footage.

News Corp’s The Daily

• Series of new videos in 2011 as “Daily Drone.” Prompted FAA investigation. They were grounded.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI2d3ui2vYw

But we can reasonably project what types of stories drones will make possible after 2015.

From the air, you see the path. Currently requires a helicopter. Could technically (but not legally) be done by a drone today. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

From the ground (typical coverage). (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Tuscaloosa, AlabamaTornado 5/7/2011

Deepwater Horizon oil rig, April 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert).

Million Mom March, Washington DC, March 14, 2000. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

Or they can be used for this

Source: University of Nebraska Drone Journalism Lab

People value their privacy“Steve Hindi, president of SHARK (SHowing Animals Respect and Kindness), said his group was preparing to launch its Mikrokopterdrone to video what he called a live pigeon shoot on Sunday …

…’Seconds after it hit the air, numerous shots rang out … As an act of revenge for us shutting down the pigeon slaughter, they had shot down our copter.’”

http://www.suasnews.com/2012/11/19754/activists-release-video-of-latest-drone-shoot-down/

And don’t forget bees!

http://bit.ly/Wt35os

“CBS12 News crew attacked by bees during Palm Beach Mall demolition”West Palm Beach, Florida

FAA Hobbyist GuidelinesIndoors:

• No limitations.

Outdoors:

• Stay out of FAA air space (< 400 feet).

• Don’t fly over or toward people.

• If people show up, fly away from them.

• Don’t fly near or toward buildings.

Use common sense

If you stay under 400 feet, you can fly a drone on your own property, or property of someone else with their permission.

But be careful not to peek over a fence, scare the neighbors and prompt a call to the FAA!

Speaking of hobbyists …

• A.R. Parrot has an SDK, and people are making apps for it right and left.

Drone groups

• DIYDrones.com33,000 members worldwide. – Started by Wired

former editor Chris Anderson (now 100% focused on drones).

Australia is ahead of us

You are the drone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8mWTTSYt7s

Let’s fly a drone!

Arland Whitfield,

SkyWorks Project

@SkyWorksProject

THANKS!

Dan Pacheco, Chair Journalism Innovation, S.I. Newhouse School,

Syracuse University@pachecod and

@JournovationSU

drpachec@syr.edu