media update’s Jenna Cook takes a look at the use of drones in journalism.
Drone journalism, in a nutshell, is the use of a drone – an unmanned and remotely controlled device intended for flight – for journalistic purposes.
And whether it’s a long distance shot of the skyline or a close encounter view of a natural disaster, there is no doubt that these eyes-in-the-sky are revolutionising the way in which a story is captured. Here’s why:
Drones offer new perspectives for journalists
The rise of drones means the increase of perspective – quite literally. Drones enable journalists to capture stories from a multitude of new angles.
“Being able to see the world from the air has not always been easy to do. In the past, you needed helicopters, you needed airplanes or a really, really, really long stick with a camera at the end,” says journalism technologist,
Ben Kreimer.
He continues, “A drone is a vehicle that can travel through airspace, and it can carry a payload of whatever you want it to carry, so it's not just limited to cameras. It could also be a sensor of some sort, which could gather data during the flight, about the environment.”
Drones have the potential to monitor everything – from air pollution and traffic congestion to deforestation. The maneuverability and small size of most drones make it easy to collect data – quickly and cheaply – in areas that are difficult to navigate on ground level.
Drone journalism has the ability to increase the scope and scale of a story
Drones are capable of making the magnitude of situations clear. In the case of natural disasters, protests and even war, drones can fly above the chaos on the ground, providing high-resolution coverage that journalists wouldn’t have had access to otherwise.
What’s more is that they do not solely provide aerial photography and videography. “The first example of what they can do beyond video, and beyond photographs, is using drones to produce 3D models,” continues Kreimer.
“In other words, 3D reconstructions of buildings, of structures and of landscapes. So while you're actually using a drone and taking photographs to do this, in the end, you come out with 3D content. This also means you can even use drones to produce virtual reality (VR) content, either through 360° video, or a full-fledged, 3D VR environment.”
With drones doing the heavy lifting to recover evidence, journalists can remain safe while compiling their content. Also, having access – and even replicating 3D environments – means journalists can have a more insightful view of the effects of natural disasters and politically charged happenings.
Drones are a great tool for telling old stories in a new way
Drones have been a great catalyst for capturing stories in a way that traditional means could not. Flying in spaces that were previously inaccessible means they are able to uncover secrets that have been laying in the land. And the effects of this are being seen in journalism practices all over Africa.
‘
Unequal Scenes’ is the award-winning drone journalism work from South Africa’s Johnny Miller. He says, “Discrepancies in how people live are sometimes hard to see from the ground. The beauty of being able to fly is to see things from a new perspective — to see things as they really are. Incredible scenes of inequality emerge when looking down from a height of several hundred metres.”
Miller used a drone to capture scenes – only truly visible from the sky – that reveal the dividing lines between wealth and poverty.
He continues, “My desire with this project is to portray the most ‘Unequal Scenes’ in South Africa as objectively as possible. By providing a new perspective on an old problem, I hope to provoke a dialogue that can begin to address the issues of inequality and disenfranchisement in a constructive and peaceful way.”
Journalism expert, Samir 'Mr Magazine™' Husni, weighs in as the battle of ‘print versus digital’ rages on. Read more in our article, Print versus digital: A Q&A with 'Mr Magazine™' himself.
*Image courtesy of Vecteezy