Professional Society of Drone Journalists (PSDJ)


The Professional Society of Drone Journalists was established in 2011 by Mattew Schroyer and became the first international association that works in the framework of drone journalism. The organization aims to set up the educational, technological, and ethical core in this field. Also, it provides help and technical safety for drone journalists. Here, we will discuss the PSDJ association, its purpose, founder, and major areas of activity.

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About the Organization

The writers and journalists mention that drone journalism is becoming mainstream in today’s world. Many challenges appeared with the emergence of this field in journalism. Undoubtedly, they aggravated the development of drone journalism. Thus, the field requires establishing more legal and ethical regulations.


The Professional Society of Drone Journalists works to solve all the problems related to this sphere. The members of the organization offer necessary guidelines and support in all facets. 


The association has created an ethical code for drone journalists. It includes the traditional code of ethics for journalists supplemented by 


  • technological aspects; 
  • safety concerns;
  • legal considerations. 

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The Mission of the PSDJ Organization

The main mission of the PSDJ Organization is to provide support and guidelines for drone journalism specialists. The association cooperates with various professionals who contribute to the sphere development. A lot of writers and journalists are a part of this big family and a lot of tham are opend for communication or asking for help. Some writers from the PSDJ are partners of PaperWriter, and help students with the complicated asignments. If you are a student and you need some help just usk to write my paper on our website, and you will get a qualified writer or tutor!

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Ethical Code

The organization adheres to the code of ethics for drone journalists. According to it, drone journalists should maintain all ethical expectations. Also, it involves extra responsibility related to the operating of the flying vehicle. The drone journalist should consider all regulations of the airspace where they operate.


The ethical code of drone journalists is based on the following five concepts:


  • newsworthiness (do not take a risk if the information is not worthy);
  • safety (the drone operator must be well-trained; the equipment should be in suitable condition);
  • privacy (the specialist should operate the drone in a way that does not compromise privacy);
  • traditional ethics (refers to the professional codes for journalists and writers);
  • sanctity of law and public places.

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About the Founder of Professional Society of Drone Journalists 

Mattew Schroyer is the founder of the Professional Society of Drone Journalists. His main activity refers to drone and data journalism. Also, the founder of the association focuses on the development of 


  • drone technology; 
  • small Uncrewed Aerial Systems (sUAS) applied by the journalists. 


Mattew Schroyer holds a master’s degree in journalism. He graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. In addition, he created different programs dedicated to the development of drone journalism. Nowadays, Schroyer is working on a National Science Foundation grant at the University of Illinois. The grant gives STEM teachers a unique chance for leadership training and professional growth.

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Main Areas of Activity

As drone journalism is now a mainstream tool in today’s journalism, the association aims at overcoming the main challenges in this sphere:

 

  1. regulatory/legal frameworks;
  2. privacy violation risks;
  3. quality of training of operators; 
  4. negative public reaction;
  5. operational safety risks. 


The PSDJ works to find a solution for each of the problems. It supplies drone journalists with all necessary guidelines. Also, the organization cooperates with journalists or journalism students, writers, and professors. Finally, it considers educational, technological, legal, and ethical facets. 


The Professional Society of Drone Journalists provides help in the following areas:


  • updates on the development of drone journalism in all facets;
  • ethical standards for the use of drone equipment in reporting;
  • guidelines on technical safety and federal requirements that apply to small Uncrewed Aerial Systems;
  • peer support and collaboration; the ability to cooperate with PSDJ members.

Final Thoughts

The PSDJ was created to serve the interests of people who are fond of uncrewed aircraft. The association welcomes everyone who has a passion for journalism and drones and agrees to adhere to the ethical code. The society’s members are individuals with diverse backgrounds, which allows building an international community with a unique culture.

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