ABSTRACT
For journalism in particular, the issue of privacy and the invasion of privacy from camera-equipped drones cannot be ignored. The News Establishment's interest in drones began in earnest in 2013 when the first class graduated from a University of Missouri Journalism School drone journalism program. The Ops Manual begins from one point that should be universal: “The number one goal of any drone journalism operation is safety”. The regulation of UAVs is beset with problems globally, which means that any journalist wishing to operate a drone for newsgathering must check with all relevant authorities, from local municipal bodies, right through to state and federal regulators. A major concern with drone use in journalism is privacy. Adam Rothstein notes that the news media has a “high appetite” for stories about drones—due to the fascination with which we regard their novelty—and also for information regarding how they might impact on journalism itself.
