The Courts Rather Than The FAA May Soon Settle the Issue of News Media Use of Camera Drones.

Washington, DC—Suddenly, the FAA has allowed CNN and a Las Vegas agency ArrowData to begin using and testing drones for electronic newsgathering over populated areas under a section 333-waiver application provision.  

Until now the FAA has banned so-called, commercial use of drones while completely ignoring important First Amendment issues. 

As of now many media companies have opted to refuse applying for section-333 waivers because the lack of FAA regulation in effect already allows drone newsgathering.

The FAA just issued a curious memo saying the media can’t use the drones, but they can accept and publish drone video from third party hobbyists.  That begs the question, are the rights of hobbyists somehow greater than news publishers?

Soon the FAA and media content creators may be clashing in a courtroom.

The real issue and mission of the FAA is about safety in our skies. However, to date the nearly two million multi-rotor camera drones have not been involved in a single death, significant injury or property damage anywhere. The 7000 registered helicopters on the other hand have suffered numerous deaths along with epic destruction of property.  

The drones used by hobbyists have been proven to be safe.  There really is no evidence whatsoever that use of drones by the media would be any different.

There are two ways for courts to become involved to settle the potential conflict.  One is for the FAA to cite someone because they used a drone for newsgathering.  The other way would be if a media company or individual simply sued the FAA seeking a Declaratory Judgment that would actually enjoin the FAA from obstructing newsgathering efforts. 

With respect to electronic newsgathering he FAA has to date been placing itself above our Constitution’s First Amendment.  A judge may yet slap the FAA.   The FAA cannot simply trump the Constitution of the United States.

Here is the latest and somewhat ambiguous FAA memo on the drone newsgathering subject:

Drone Is No Longer an Ugly Word!

Kathmandu, Nepal—Drone video of the tragic earthquake that struck the very top of the world is beyond epic.  

As soon as the quake hit television networks and camera drone operators were boarding all available means of transportation.  The drone pilots understood full well the absolute importance of rushing to the scene. 

They know that drone images and video helps rescuers and engineers determine the safest ways to extract victims.   At the same time shows the rest of the world just how this desperate the situation is being handled.

Drone pilots and first responders everywhere are beginning to understand that in natural disasters, search and rescue along with other emergencies analyzing the material is a genuine lifesaver. 

It’s much easier for ground crews to locate survivors, evaluate hazards and determine the need for specialized equipment with the help of the new small drone technology.

Helicopters are too large and their prop wash can actually bring more danger to these delicate extractions.  Once victims are clear then helicopters can drop stretchers and cables to swiftly extract victims to medical care.

CNN broadcast the heartbreaking video below to their viewers of devastation of this ancient and mystical city.  The incredible newsgathering capability of the drones is just beginning to get the attention of the nations news directors and editors.

Again I must herald that with nearly two million multi-rotor drones on the hands of the public, there has never been a fatality or serious injury.  Property damage is limited to drones getting caught in trees or insignificant collisions with the ground.  The 7000 helicopters in service worldwide can never boast of that kind of a safety record.

Aside from capturing stunning images drones are unquestionable lifesavers.

News Media, Camera Drones and whopping Lies

Los Angeles, CA—The redundancy of reported drone news fables claiming privacy invasion and endangerment are getting very tiresome.  Okay, I agree that these stories are still somewhat novel and interesting. 

Claims that the little camera drones are nearly colliding with conventional helicopter and other aircraft are nearly always patently bogus.  Careful examination by a journalist would expose the reality from fantasy.

Police and news helicopter pilots see their career days being numbered by the threat of drones eliminating their jobs.  Helicopters cost $1,500 to $2,500 per hour to keep in the air.  The drones cost nearly nothing!

Are the motives of helicopter pilots really pure when they disparage, denounce or otherwise criticize camera drones and their operators?  

Can a little camera drone bring down a helicopter or airplane?  I won’t say it’s impossible but it is incredibly unlikely.  There are thousands of collisions between large birds and planes every year.  Occasionally aircraft suffer minor damage but aircraft fatalities or serious air accidents from birds are beyond rare.

The camera drones are zero threat to helicopters. simply because the air movement or prop-wash cause by the large blades would blow little drones far away. 

I suppose a drone could be sucked into a jet engine perhaps causing a failure of that engine but causing an actual crash would be very unlikely.

No camera drone operator wants to see his beloved and expensive little toy destroyed.  The same goes for causing any kind of damage or injury.  Flying around conventional aircraft is dangerous but, much more so to the camera drone more than anything.

The safety record of the new camera drones is stellar and spotless.  Zero fatalities or serious injuries.  The same cannot be said about any conventional aircraft or large military drones.

The news media sends out journalists with, for the most part zero experience with these things to cover the “Chicken Little” stories of how bad things almost happened and sensationalism and loathing nearly always sets in. 

The same can be said about stories of the little drones invading privacy even though they can’t see or hear through walls or roofs.

The stories of some journalists know no bounds when fictional sensationalism is better than the truth.

There is yet to be one real case of unlawful privacy invasion with a camera drone brought forward in any court.

No industry needs camera drones more than the news media.  Recent financially lean years have shut down newspapers and caused pink slips to rain in nearly every newsroom. 

The camera drones produce clear, breathtaking still and video images needed for electronic newsgathering.  News organizations can operate far better with a few camera drones out in the viewer or reader’s neighborhoods than a single conventional helicopter.

Most of America is covered by small or medium market news organizations that don’t now have nor can afford helicopters.  Drones are their obvious answer!

A conventional helicopter, pilot and sometimes a photographer must be quickly scrambled to cover breaking stories.  Then they have to get to the scene and that takes time too.  A drone can be deployed within a minute or three by an operator in the neighborhood. 

The media needs to position itself at the very front of the fight with the FAA to use these in the course of daily newsgathering. 

There is a 1^st Amendment right that also needs to be protected.  The camera drones are no different than any other piece of news equipment such as a pencil, notepad or conventional camera.

The media has to begin factually reporting drone stories taking out the fables and claims that the sky is falling as a result of this exciting new technology.

It’s far easier to win this fight now at the point of FAA regulation and legislation than years of expensive court challenges.

What? You Work in TV News but Can’t Create a Video Package on Your iPhone?

Los Angeles, CA—Local news coverage here is as lame is it gets anywhere!  The entertainment capitol of the world and the second largest television market puts out pathetic  minimalist crap instead of comprehensive news. It's downright shameful!

What used to be called print media has now been forcibly moved to the Internet and they now must adapt to publishing quality video or simply become history.

I don’t give a rat’s ass if you’re at the bottom position and pay grade in your news organization there’s no excuse for you being unable to make a broadcast quality news story if you come upon breaking news.  If you can’t put together a watchable story on your iPhone you need to get out of the news business.  

You don’t have to be pretty or an award winning cinematographer to create a great news story.  You do need to be capable of using a little investigative effort and get some watchable video and simply tell your story.  What’s most important is that you never waste an opportunity to assemble the elements of important news breaking around you.

The new iPhone 6 plus with it’s improved camera and large screen allows anyone that can make a decent selfie still shot, to shoot, edit and make a really watchable news package!  Unlike the predecessor, smaller iPhones the larger 6plus screens are very adequate to professionally edit captured video in the inexpensive iMovie application. 

I’m not going to train in this story you but will give you a few solid tips.

Always hold you iPhone horizontal and NEVER vertical.  Get close as you possibly can to the action so that you can get both usable sound and video.   If you’re too shy and don’t get close enough you efforts will be wasted.

Always be sure to add your own voiceovers to your captured video during the editing process.  Doing that while you shoot is almost never a good idea.  

As you learn how to do this you will discover tricks and accessories to improve your stories with things like lavaliere microphones.  There are lots of new devices including those that serve as tripods when needed.  

If you have a camera drone and can get it deployed and operating over breaking news such as a natural disaster or a civil disturbance that could swing your career into high gear.

There are those amazing options for live broadcasting from your iPhone offered by Livestream.com or Ustream.com.   They must rely on a good 4G Internet signal.  You could for example be on vacation in Europe during breaking news and actually get video back to your newsroom.

Again, I’m going to bash L.A’s lame news coverage.  They can’t seem to do a crime story these days that was not totally created and controlled by the appointed police propaganda officers. 

I don’t understand why the reporters in this market won’t routinely check things like court records or take the effort to identify and seek out victims and witnesses for interviews.  What they call enterprising journalism here is getting a really worthless sound bite from a know-nothing neighbor saying, “it's so scary!” 

Despite so many wonderful new tools the quality of electronically gathered coverage has declined significantly over the last two decades. The competiveness and energy has dwindled as newsrooms have lost viewers and readers in droves.

The new technologies should be helping significantly but the news organizations are so painfully slow at adaptation.  Perhaps it’s that the ageing suits running the news business are simply a bunch of old dogs incapable of learning new tricks. They desperately cling to the things that worked for them when they were young.

The tools of computer assisted reporting, instantly obtaining quality video, the exciting GoPro cameras and now the inexpensive camera drones have made amazing leaps and bounds.   Unfortunately the suits running news refuse to embrace new technology and instead reject progress. 

If you’re working in a newsroom or hope to pursue this line of work, you simply can’t wait for the news bureaucracy to adapt to progress.   It’s you that must learn how to create and then demonstrate your abilities. 

The camera drones have made a big splash and the novelty has brought with it massive ignorance and contrived controversy. 

If you have a camera drone use it.  Get the video and worry about what your bosses will say later.  It’s better that they see your amazing images even if they are two cowardly to use them!

Why wait for someone else to do this and steal your thunder?  If you make something spectacular with a drone camera your bosses will soon be fighting to use what they did not have the testicles to allow earlier.