Knowledge and Use of Drone Technology Among Television Stations in Nigeria

The 21st century has ushered in technological advancements, with drones used for news gathering by television stations worldwide. This study was conducted to assess the knowledge and use of drone technology for news gathering among television stations in Abuja, Nigeria. The study used an interview method, in which 10 journalists from NTA NEWS24 and AIT stations were interviewed to obtain results. The study was anchored in the Technology Acceptance Model, which showed the usefulness of gathering information from dangerous scenes using drones and the ease of remotely piloting the aircraft from a safe location to cover certain events without being harmed. Findings from the interview revealed that the camera operators at both television stations were the most knowledgeable among newsroom journalists in using drones, as they were adequately trained. Findings also showed that newsworthy events that used drones for coverage included natural disasters such as floods, sporting events, and protests. The study concluded that NTA NEWS24 and AIT stations have fully incorporated drones into their news gathering. Therefore, it was recommended that television stations should go beyond training only camera operators to utilise drones and also train reporters, in line with television stations worldwide.