As drones become cheaper, they're also used for more and more tasks in everyday life. Whether it's delivering packages or recording stories, they're very useful. However, some people are worried that they may eliminate our privacy. This worry is why the FAA has placed restrictions on drone use in certain environments. However, the FAA just approved CNN to start using drones for more journalism work.
CNN said it was entering into a "Cooperative Research and Development Agreement" with the FDA and Georgia Tech Research Institute to "advance efforts to integrate Unmanned Aerial Vehicles into news gathering and reporting." CNN has worked with GTRI since June 2014 on drone journalism.
The partnership will allow CNN to test a number of professional-grade drones so the FAA can determine what rules might be necessary for the tech, according to Gigaom.
"Unmanned aircraft offer news organizations significant opportunities.....We hope this agreement with CNN and the work we are doing with other news organizations and associations will help safely integrate unmanned newsgathering technology and operating procedures into the National Airspace System," FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said.
This isn't the first time that journalists have used drones to report. "Drone Journalism is as old as the hobby itself" and there is already a "drone society" which provides support for "drone journalists," Gizmodo noted. Other news organizations have attempted to implement drones in the field, but the FAA has always put a stop to it.
Hopefully, this development will not only open doors for drone journalism, but for drone innovation in general. The developments here could help the FAA to loosen up its rules regarding drone use in the U.S.
