Jonathan Butzke stands in front of the drone’s path so it is forced to reroute.

Jonathan Butzke stands in front of the drone’s path so it is forced to reroute. (Stephanie Yang photol)

student spotlight: drones

Drones are associated with targeted killings overseas, but in two years, thousands of small drones could be flying above the U.S. under a 2012 federal law.

Already some law enforcement agencies and researchers have special permits to use the unmanned aerial systems for everything from spotting suspects and fighting fires to experimenting with their uses for journalists. And commercial interests are looking at ways to use drones for everything from factory surveillance to burrito deliveries.

But the widespread use of drones in domestic airspace raises both safety and privacy concerns among some lawmakers and advocacy groups.

A team of student reporters from the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications investigated the possible effects of the law and produced a series of eye-opening stories. Several of the stories also are being published by McClatchy newspapers.

Explore the full collection of stories and multimedia from the students.

Oil Change Project

In a three-month investigation, a team of graduate  student reporters from Northwestern University’s Medill School found that the United States’ unquenchable thirst for oil has shaped nearly every aspect of the country’s domestic and foreign policy for more than five decades,  often in controversial and dangerous ways.

The graduate student team today (May 9) published its findings on the national security implications of U.S. energy policy on a website created by the team. An overview story linking to the project is featured on Global Post, the award winning online international reporting network.

→ Complete details.

On the Beat

The latest headlines from On The National Security Beat, Scott Anderson’s column that provides fresh tips, news and resources to help national security reporters excel on their beats.


For national security journalists, a new book to help decipher the law

National Security Law in the News: A Guide for Journalists, Scholars, and PolicymakersTwo Medill National Security Journalism Initiative faculty members and a former NSJI fellow have co-edited a legal guide for national security reporters.  National Security Law in the News: A Guide for Journalists, Scholars, and Policymakers debuted earlier this month.

“The level of public engagement in issues of national security concern has returned to levels not seen in America since the 1960s and 1970s. The discussion is at once invigorating, engaging, frustrating, and challenging. Journalists, as the
voice of a free people, are at once responsible for reporting on that discourse and, to some degree, creating it,” the co-editors say in the book’s introduction.

“This book is intended to help journalists reporting on those discussions
understand the legal underpinnings so they can provide context and avoid factual missteps.”

The book is a joint project of the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Law and National Security and Northwestern’s Medill School, of which the the NSJI is a part. Co-authors were NSJI co-directors Prof. Ellen Shearer and  Lecturer Timothy McNulty along with Paul Rosenzweig, a lawyer and former Department of Homeland Security deputy who was NSJI’s 2011 Carnegie National Security Fellow. Continue reading

Help in preparing for a danger zone and covering a local base

Essential Tips and Wisdom,
Straight From the Experts

In one of our “NSZ 101″ how-to guides, Peter Andrew Bosch, a veteran Miami Herald photographer who has covered conflicts on several continents, offers advice on what to bring when you head to shoot in dangerous situation, and offers tips on operating once you’re there.

His guiding principle: “the 5 ‘Ps’:” Proper preparation helps prevent a poor performance. → See the complete guide.

Lessig

Meantime, Hugh Lessig of the Daily Press in Virginia offers some insights and recommendations on learning how to cover a local military installation (he’s got about a dozen in his neck of the woods).

“I’m a generalist,” Lessig explains. “My knowledge must be broad, but not deep. However, some principles apply to the job no matter what the territory, and I’ll try to cover them here.”
→ Explore The Local Base Beat.


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