Drone Journalism Lab

What Drone Journalism Lab does

The Drone Journalism Lab is an academic research and educational entity housed within the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's (UNL) College of Journalism and Mass Communications. Founded in 2011 by journalism professor Matt Waite, the lab explores the use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for news gathering, focusing on protocols, procedures, and ethical frameworks rather than proprietary hardware or software. The lab's primary outputs are knowledge-based rather than technology-based: an open-source, Creative Commons-licensed Operations Manual hosted on GitHub, and in-person bootcamps training journalists and journalism educators on FAA Part 107 compliance, safe flight operations, and journalism-specific ethical considerations.

The lab's product portfolio comprises two offerings. The Operations Manual covers preflight briefings, flight role definitions (Pilot in Command, Observer, Journalist), FAA Part 107 regulatory requirements, and ethical guidelines — distributed freely as a PDF and via Dropbox. The Drone Journalism Boot Camp is a 3-day intensive training program priced at $195 per participant, with capacity for 60 attendees per session, including instruction, practice tests, hands-on flight practice, course materials (FAR AIM, Pilot Handbook of Aviation Knowledge), and meals. The initial boot camp was held August 12–14, 2016 at UNL and was subsequently expanded to four bootcamps nationwide in partnership with Poynter, NPPA, and Google News Lab. The lab has also conducted international projects in India, Turkey, Kenya, Tanzania, Iceland, and Vanuatu.

The lab's business model is primarily non-commercial. Operations are supported by grants — most notably from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation for the operations manual — and UNL institutional funding. Bootcamp fees represent the only direct commercial revenue stream (theoretical maximum ≈ $46,800 gross annually at four sold-out sessions), but the lab's mission is research, education, and regulatory advocacy rather than revenue generation. The lab has no traditional ownership structure, no external investors, no fundraising activity, and no M&A history. Customer segments are journalism schools and educators (primary) and newsrooms/media organizations (secondary); named collaborators include NBC News, The Star (Kenya), CCTV Africa, African SkyCAM, and VICE News.

Name

Drone Journalism Lab

Legal name

Drone Journalism Lab

Website

https://dronejournalismlab.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Drone Journalism Lab is an academic research lab at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln that develops protocols, ethical frameworks, and training for using drones in journalism, serving journalism schools, newsrooms, and journalists through an open-source Operations Manual and FAA Part 107 bootcamps.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Journalism Education and Training

NAICS

Flight Training (611512), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

SIC

Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)

akta.pro primary industry

UAS Integration, Certification & Compliance Systems (Remote ID, Detect-and-Avoid) (IMABAIAO)

Keywords

• Drone journalism training
• UAV newsgathering
• FAA Part 107 compliance
• Aerial journalism operations
• Journalism ethics frameworks

Headquarters

HQ city

Lincoln

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Bootcamp Fees: The lab charges $195 per participant for drone journalism bootcamp attendance. Bootcamps include instruction, practice tests, hands-on flight practice, course materials (FAR AIM, Pilot Handbook of Aviation Knowledge), and meals.
2. Research and Education (Non-revenue generating): As a university research lab at UNL's College of Journalism and Mass Communications, the primary mission is research, education, and advocacy rather than revenue generation. Operations are supported by grants and foundation funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Drone Journalism Lab fundamentally delivers knowledge products and training for safely, legally, and ethically deploying drones (UAVs) in journalism. Its core offerings are an open-source, Creative Commons-licensed Operations Manual covering FAA Part 107 compliance, preflight procedures, flight roles, and ethics, plus 3-day in-person Drone Journalism Boot Camps at $195 per participant.

Product overview

The Drone Journalism Lab is an educational and research organization at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's College of Journalism and Mass Communications. It offers an open-source Drone Journalism Lab Operations Manual providing comprehensive guidelines for drone journalism operations, and conducts Drone Journalism Boot Camps as training programs. The lab focuses on teaching journalists how to safely, legally, and ethically use drones for newsgathering, with emphasis on FAA Part 107 regulations compliance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Drone Journalism Lab Operations Manual An open-source, Creative Commons-licensed operations manual providing guidelines, checklists, and procedures for safely and ethically operating drones for journalism. Covers preflight briefings, FAA Part 107 regulations, flight safety procedures, ethical considerations, and role definitions (Pilot in Command, Observer, Journalist). Hosted on GitHub for collaborative contributions and available as a free PDF via Dropbox. Intended for newsrooms, journalism schools, and individual journalists.
• Drone Journalism Boot Camp A 3-day in-person training program teaching journalists about FAA Part 107 drone certification requirements, airspace regulations, aviation weather reports, and practical flight skills for newsroom drone operations. Includes instruction on the FAA's knowledge test topics, hands-on flight practice, course materials (FAR AIM, Pilot Handbook of Aviation Knowledge), the Drone Journalism Lab Operations Manual, breakfast, and lunch. Priced at $195 per participant with capacity for 60 attendees per session. Conducted in partnership with Poynter, NPPA, and Google News Lab.

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PoyntercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPoynter partnered with the lab to co-host drone journalism bootcamps around the country. Poynter brings its journalism training expertise and industry credibility to the collaboration.
• NPPA (National Press Photographers Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNPPA partnered with the lab for drone journalism bootcamps, contributing visual journalism expertise and access to professional photographer networks.
• Google News LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGoogle News Lab co-sponsored the drone journalism bootcamp program, supporting four bootcamps around the country. The partnership leverages Google's resources and reach in journalism innovation.
• African SkyCAMminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLab associate Ben Kreimer collaborated with African SkyCAM on wildlife documentation projects in Kenya, demonstrating drone journalism applications in international contexts.
• The Star (Kenya)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLab associate Ben Kreimer collaborated with The Star newspaper in Nairobi on drone journalism work, producing content and documenting the potential of drones for African journalism.
• CCTV AfricaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with CCTV Africa and African SkyCAM produced stunning aerial video of African wildlife, showcasing drone journalism capabilities to a continental broadcast audience.
• VICE NewsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLab associate Ben Kreimer collaborated with VICE News on a story in Nairobi involving documentation of the Dandora dumpsite, demonstrating innovative 3D modeling and immersive storytelling techniques.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Knight Foundation: National foundation funding journalism innovation that provided the grant enabling the Drone Journalism Lab Operations Manual. Comparable as a journalism-focused grantmaker funding similar research, training, and ethical frameworks in newsrooms.
• UAV Coach: Drone training and Part 107 certification prep platform offering online courses, study guides, and a community forum. Comparable as a drone journalism adjacent training provider targeting the same FAA Part 107 certification pathway with more scalable digital delivery.
• Poynter Institute: Non-profit journalism training institute that co-hosts the Drone Journalism Lab's bootcamps and shares a focus on professional development for working journalists. Directly comparable as a journalism education organization targeting the same audience with overlapping curriculum.
• Drone Pilot Ground School: Commercial Part 107 test prep and drone training company offering online courses to aspiring commercial drone pilots. Comparable as a direct FAA Part 107 training provider, though broader (not journalism-specific) and delivered digitally rather than in-person.
• National Press Photographers Association (NPPA): Visual journalism professional association that co-hosts the lab's bootcamps and provides access to professional photographer networks. Comparable as a journalism training and standards body serving overlapping constituencies (photojournalists, newsroom visual staff).
• Google News Lab: Google's journalism innovation initiative that co-sponsored the lab's national bootcamp program. Comparable as a journalism training and innovation funder targeting the same newsroom audience, with substantially larger resources.

Broad incumbents

• DJI: World's largest consumer and commercial drone manufacturer whose Phantom platform is explicitly used by the Drone Journalism Lab for its bootcamps and international projects. Comparable as the dominant UAS hardware supplier that the lab's training implicitly standardizes on.
• Medill School of Journalism (Northwestern): Top-tier U.S. journalism school that integrates emerging technology (including drones) into its curriculum. Comparable as a journalism education institution with substantially broader scope, larger resources, and similar audience of journalism students and educators.
• Columbia Journalism School: Elite journalism school with a Tow Center for Digital Journalism investigating emerging reporting technologies. Comparable as an academic journalism research and training institution that addresses drone journalism within a broader curriculum.

Emerging players

• DJI FlightHub: DJI's enterprise drone fleet management and operations platform for commercial drone programs. Comparable as a software layer for managing newsroom drone operations, pilots, and compliance - the same workflow the lab's Operations Manual addresses via documentation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mattwaite
• GitHubgithub.com/DroneJournalismLab/OperationsManual

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Drone Journalism Lab