CNN plans on experimenting with the vehicles in producing video content, while the government agency says the initiative will help to inform its drone policy moving forward.

"Unmanned aircraft offer news organizations significant opportunities," says FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. "We hope this agreement with CNN and the work we are doing with other news organizations and associations will help safely integrate unmanned newsgathering technology and operating procedures into the National Airspace System."

While the development will be welcome news for CNN and other media outlets looking to tap into the potential of unmanned aircraft, to others it may seem a little overdue with the FAA still outlawing drone use for commercial purposes. Founded in 2011, the Professional Society of Drone Journalists has pushed for the establishment of an official framework for drone journalism, and the vehicles have already been used in news gathering in other parts of the world, from last year's World Cup in Brazil to a disaster zones in the Philippines.