Watch Live: Congressional Hearing on IRS Scandal

Live BlazeCast at 2pm ET: All the fireworks from the IRS Hearing!

Education

Journalists Using Drones? University of Nebraska ‘Drone Journalism Lab’ Explores the Ethics

Nov. 2, 2012 12:43pm Liz Klimas

With small drones becoming more prevalent and used by law enforcement, civilians and the media, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for the last year has been operating a formal “Drone Journalism Lab,” which recently filed its first drone-assisted story.

The lab itself was established in 2011 by professor Matt Waite to gain more insight into how drones fit within the evolving field. Here’s more about the program:

In the lab, students and faculty will build drone platforms, use them in the field and research the ethical, legal and regulatory issues involved in using pilotless aircraft to do journalism.

Journalists are increasingly faced with two problems: a growing appetite for unique online video in an environment of decreased budgets; and restricted or obstructed access to stories ranging from disaster coverage to Occupy Wall Street protests. The technology behind autonomous and remotely piloted vehicles is rapidly moving from military applications to the point where private citizens can own and operate their own drone. At the same time, high definition and 3D video cameras are getting smaller, cheaper and lighter. Paired with global position devices, they make ideal additions to an airborne platform.

With a grant, the program is producing “drone-assisted” stories, the first of which was published last week about Nebraska’s drought. In order to conduct the work, the journalism department’s drone program partnered with the university’s NIMBUS (Nebraska Intelligent MoBile Unmanned Systems) Lab, which provided use of a $25,000 drone and its pilot, according to Silicon Prairie News.

University of Nebraska Lincoln Drone Journalism Lab Releases First Story That Received Drone Assistance

Carrick Detweiler with NIMBUS pilots the drone used by the lab. (Photo: DroneJouranlismLab.org)

Waite said to Silicon Prairie News that the drone lab itself has ordered its own equipment as well.

“It was fun getting out there and doing actual journalism instead of talking about it,” Waite told Silicon Prairie News in an email. “We learned a lot doing it, and we’ve still got a lot to learn. But I think we’ve proven the concept, if it even needed further proving.”

As for the story produced with assistance from the drone, Waite explains in a blog post that they first had to pick a story that met the following criteria for drone use:

The UAV would have to fly away from people and houses.

The UAV would have to fly under 400 feet.

The UAV would have to be within our sight at all times.

The UAV footage would have to be newsworthy and interesting.

Eventually, they settled on studying this year’s record drought and the drying up of the Platte River.

“Drought, and a nearly empty river, fit our requirements,” Waite wrote. “We could fly in rural areas, all within FAA restrictions, and the video would be interesting.”

After taking the video, Waite wrote that traditional journalism still had to come into play to get the whole story. He noted that the drone is just a tool for journalists to use. Here’s a video of the drone they used and some of the footage it took:

“We think the end result turned out well,” he wrote. “We learned a few things, we have more of an idea of what it will take to [do] journalism with a UAV, and we’re working on new stories using UAVs to report.”

Watch this finalized report that includes drone footage coupled with traditional journalism:

(H/T: Popular Science)

In CONTROL, Glenn Beck presents a passionate, fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isn’t really about controlling guns at all; it’s about controlling us. Find out more HERE.

Back to The Blaze »

Comments (20)

HPC172ERTAV
Posted on November 5, 2012 at 7:45pm
Heck, we were using a model airplane and a cheap flip camera last summer to evaluate emergent plant growth in our 51 ac. lake. Much faster than a canoe but not as accurate. We used it to determine where to go on the water. We can also get a quick visual on blow downs in our 450 ac. forest. All this cost a few hundred bucks. Typical of gov’t they need 25 grand to do a non story.

As the settlers used to say the Platt was too thin to farm, and too muddy to drink.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
well.I.never
Posted on November 4, 2012 at 4:05am
Journalists ARE the drones and Obama is the queen bee.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- 911Patriot
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 9:53pm
  This is the perfect comment!
  
  Report this comment
PIGSWILLNEVERFLY
Posted on November 2, 2012 at 10:18pm
O great, flying cameras – more target practice? I was curious which countries have the big drones so I binged and found this: http://www.rfel.org/content/drones_who_makes_them_and_who_has_them/24469168.html

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
ObserverOnTheHill
Posted on November 2, 2012 at 7:12pm
watch the award winning movie that exposes how the Communists have planned the downfall of America for the last hundred years – FREE until the election – please pass link on to everyone you know

http://vimeo.com/user2695043/agenda

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
voting-for-romney
Posted on November 2, 2012 at 2:37pm
I wonder if Madonna will give them the finger?

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
southernORcobra
Posted on November 2, 2012 at 2:15pm
PULL!! *Raises shotgun*

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
The-Monk
Posted on November 2, 2012 at 2:00pm
I see this turning into a sport similar to Robot Wars where killer robots battle it out and tear each other up.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- demsaredumb
  Posted on November 2, 2012 at 4:15pm
  Where is the story here? Just go to You Tube and search quadcopter and FPV
  
  Report this comment
13th Imam
Posted on November 2, 2012 at 1:46pm
Now the MSM can get the info and cover-up their DEMOCRAT handlers incompetence.Just like the LA TIMES covering up Barry’s past. And just like ALL the MSM’s coverup of Barry’s “Stand Down” order.

Remember Bengazi

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on November 2, 2012 at 1:43pm
Any attorneys out there? Do we have airspace rights above our property? We have a right to privacy on our own property and it seems to me that a drone would violate that right. Just because it’s not touching the ground, doesn’t mean it’s not in our space. One could argue that a hovercraft would not be breaking any privacy rights, because it isn’t technically touching the ground. Or, a person on a cherry-picker, looking over your fence. I know, that a court in Minnesota recently ruled that police could put cameras on your trees. I would think, that since it has become attached to your tree, that the camera has now become your property, but I digress. One is just expected to have certain rights to privacy, having put up a fence, etc.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- steelpanther
  Posted on November 2, 2012 at 2:11pm
  I know the Iowa DNR and state patrol used to fly a plane all over trying to spot something they could nail. Course it doesn’t bother the DNR to go where ever they want anyway.
  
  Report this comment
- CaptPK_in_the_Gulf
  Posted on November 5, 2012 at 10:54am
  I am not a lawyer but I am a licensed captain that deals with the CFRs (Code of Federal Regulations – Federal laws) all the time – so, generally speaking:
  
  A land owner has the rights to the air space over the land he owns in as much as it may be used to benefit that owned land.
  
  You can erect a water or radio tower, tall building, etc. that may extend into the air space above your owned land, however, the FAA claims the air space rights and usage for any space above the “Safe Navigable Altitude” of the type of terrain below, including the type of habitation such as rural, sub-urban, urban, etc
  
  This pretty much means that you may “utilize” the space above your owned property to the benefit of that property but you may NOT legally shoot down or otherwise impede the safe navigation of aircraft (maned or unmanned) that may enter that air space.
  
  Report this comment
TexasIndependant
Posted on November 2, 2012 at 1:21pm
Sounds like fun! You fly em over my property and I can shoot them down. I love target practice! This will be more fun than skeet shooting!

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- Landon410
  Posted on November 2, 2012 at 1:51pm
  worlds most expensive “pigeon”
  PULL
  
  You can go buy a remote control helicopter at a high end hobby store and put a camera on it, would be cheaper than the $25,000 grant being used.
  
  Report this comment
RaydocX
Posted on November 2, 2012 at 1:10pm
anyone with a remote controlled plane COULD ‘use a drone’
for journalists, beyond photos to go with their reporting, it would be of limited value… hard to get exactly who what when and why from a toy flying above the fray.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Dismayed Veteran
Posted on November 2, 2012 at 1:08pm
Go Big Red

Remember Benghazi

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
woodyee
Posted on November 2, 2012 at 12:50pm
Speaking of journalism –

Remember Benghazi!!!

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on November 2, 2012 at 12:59pm
  WOODYEE, Yep, think any journalists who might have had drones in Benghazi would release any further info? Hell no, not as long as they can cover 0bama’s ass.
  
  Report this comment
- IMCHRISTIAN
  Posted on November 2, 2012 at 1:18pm
  Benghazi, Fast and Furious and Fort Hood to name a couple more
  
  Report this comment

It appears that you have Javascript Disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser preferences for a better user experience on TheBlaze. You can not comment without Javascript enabled.