Could reporters start using drones to help them observe and report information for their stories?
According to a recent report from Australia, journalists for 60-Minutes used drones to fly over an immigration detention facility after they were denied access. The report is one of many that are sparking fears that journalists or even paparizzi could start using drones to dig further into the private lives of citizens.
Matt Waite of the Matt Waite of the Nebraska-Lincoln's College of Journalism and Mass Communications founded a Drone Journalism Lab to study the issue.
"Imagine you are a reporter and you've been assigned to cover the tornados in Joplin, Missouri," says Waite in a interview, "You could pull out your backpack a little four-rotored helicopter with an HD camera on there and send it up about 100 feet in the air."
The group has an Tumblr site dedicated to the idea of drone journalism, noting that drones could soon be in the skies in Iowa and Nebraska. (Watch video of the report here)
Last week, the New York Times reported that a new law signed by President Obama, will help streamline the use of drones for commercial and law enforcement use. According to the FAA, up to 30,000 drones could be in domestic operation by 2020.
