Juneau paper to use drone; publisher says it will respect privacy when taking photos, videos

The daily newspaper in Alaska's capital last week introduced the newest member of its staff—an unmanned aerial vehicle, more commonly known as a drone. The Juneau Empire plans to use it for gathering news and for visual storytelling, Melissa Griffiths reports for the paper. Publisher Rustan Burton told her, “It gives us the power to look at things from different angles we’ve never seen before . . . It’s a completely new perspective on things they’ve seen before, seen on a regular basis." (Empire photo by Michael Penn)

Local residents won't have to fear about invasion of privacy, Burton said. He told Griffiths, “We won’t be floating through people’s backyards. We’ll use discretion and be very sensitive about the privacy of individuals. We’ll follow every law there is. And we’re just going to be ethical with it.” The Empire has already used the drone to make a series of short videos, which are available on the newspaper's website. (Read more)

The story didn't include the legal details involved in using a commercial drone. The Federal Aviation Administration has said drone use is illegal but appears to lack the ability to stop it because a federal judge dismissed an FAA fine, making it legal to fly a commercial drone at altitudes below 400 feet. But debate continues after a plane pilot said in March that he nearly collided with a drone flying well above 400 feet, showing that some drone users don't follow the rule.