Before taking this course, I had no idea that drones and sensors were being implemented into the ways that the media collects information and conducts stories. There is infinite potential and limitless ideas regarding how drones and sensors could be used to research or tell stories in the future. In my opinion, the most interesting ways drones were used was when Ben Kreimer studied the wildlife with Africa’s SkyCam, mainly because I have a particular soft spot for animals and studying animals in their natural habitats. Performing these functions with minimal human interaction could prove to be extremely beneficial.
In regards to major media companies using drones to tell stories, I do believe that drones could have the most potential in capturing events such as natural disasters or even public protests while using less expenses and keeping their journalists away from danger. The exploratory method that Ben used to capture the San Marcos flood could tell a better story than a news anchor standing feet away from the river bank. It could give people a better perspective on the damage caused by events such as this one. As for sensors portion, I liked the idea of using quantitative data to tell a story, especially something interesting such as the food truck experiment. I think that could be truly popular among central Austin folk who want to track some of their favorite food trucks when they move to other locations. It has the potential to become a popular app.
Due to the current restrictions on drone use in media, I am not sure when I would be able to implement the knowledge I have in my own career field, but I do think it will be useful in many journalism opportunities.