Drone panic! On representations of the personal drone by Australian mainstream media

When considering personal drones as a new media tool with obvious digital media applications or as a next generation communication technology, there exists both definitional and conceptual ambiguity surrounding the identity and representation of personal drone use. When amplified by the mainstream media this leads to 'panics', both actual and perceived. This paper will explore the panics and concerns surrounding the representation of these revolutionary machines by the Australian mainstream media in order to see the entwined narratives within, and examine whether these concerns are founded or perceived; new concerns, or old concerns encountering new technologies.