There's always more than one side to every story, depending on your individual reference framework. Would ye'all have felt better if said visuals were shot with a phone cam? Or not documented at all? Or perhaps fully ignored?
I watched 9/11 with a death toll of 2977 souls unfold on a live CNN feed, sitting on the southern tip of Africa. I could immediately sympathize from 7000 miles away with every American before any politician even opened his trap to say a word and make up my mind as to the cowardice and evilness of those who were responsible for the tragedy.
So, if the 'horror' of said drone footage and the tragedy it documented could inspire/shock ONE building inspector who were not there to see the devastation for himself in future to take note of cracks developing in ONE apartment building's parking garage to save 97 more innocent lives then the drone operator deserves a medal.
Or, for the sake of the families involved, the whole incident, (9/11 included), could have been kept under wraps, a press embargo placed on any visuals of the incidents, drone and helicopter footage included, and every building inspector could happily and conveniently ignore telltale signs of impeding disaster until the next building collapses, and every international onlooker could frown upon the US for its 'war on terror' that followed 9/11.
Guess the drone operator could have kept his footage to himself, or perhaps have done the visuals on his phone cam instead, or just pretended he did not notice an apartment building in his neighborhood just collapsed.
And to those ever so quick to condemn 'the press' for keeping you informed while sitting on your comfortable couch; you have NO idea of the emotional balls it takes to document tragedy, blood and guts, misfortune, murder, deceiving politicians and natural disasters on a daily basis AND doing your best to do so unbiased and truthfully. And no, the salary involved is by no means a motivational factor. The motivation is simply a moral obligation to share the truth of what's happening so society can make informed decisions as to what's right and wrong and to make the world a better/safer place for everyone to live in.