The use of Drones

Jeremy Lin
JL402214@ohio.edu

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/when-drone-journalism-take-flight-us-john-egan

In the modern world, we are capable of using a remote-controlled machine that can fly and is equipped with a camera and can record or photograph almost anything and everything in many different aspects, this is a drone. Now the question is, is this amazing capability necessarily a positive thing? and should it be allowed?

In terms of the use of drones in America and applying to the journalism there are rules and certifications in place that enable someone to legally use these flyable machines for journalist purposes. Getting certified to fly these is not easy  and a lot goes into the use of these drones as of 2016 new rules were established to use certain types of drones.

But the footage one can obtain from a drone is undeniably amazing it was until drones came around can you manage to get a picture from only 50 to 100 feet above the ground from unmanned aircraft of that size. An example of how much a drone can really show was displayed in a CNN report in 2016 when there was massive flooding in Louisiana you can watch the video here.

The main dilemma with the use of drones in journalism is the sense of privacy and what the drone actually be picking up when taking a photograph or video. With the popularity of "drone journalism" on the rise with astonishing capabilities this concern about privacy is obviously something that concerns the public as well as journalists. But something to consider is that ultimately the journalist is responsible for respecting the privacy of whatever is being photographed just like any other photojournalism piece. Much like any form of journalism there is a general collection of ethic codes that "drone journalists" follow. Adding more to the topic of privacy, in today's world most cities in the United States have their own local code that journalists must follow when using drones. Drone journalists must also beware of flight restrictions when using them often times there will be temporary flight restrictions that would not allow for drone use.

Relating back to the topic questioning if the use of drone journalism is positive, it safe to say that drones have truly changed the photojournalism world and have opened the eyes of the public to a new perspective into what is happening in the world. Drones allow for the journalist to display images that would otherwise be impossible to capture. When discussing the use of drones in the photojournalism world I believe that the creation of this machine was a step in the right direction and allows the journalist to report the happenings around the world to the fullest extent via photograph or video. One aspect of the use of drones in journalism, is the fact that it is an unmanned aircraft whereas before drones one would have to enter a helicopter to get an image that wasn't even close to what you can accomplish with a drone because it can only fly at a certain altitude when a drone can fly lower to the ground achieve a more quality image. I believe that is safe say that drones undoubtedly a positive invention for photojournalism.