Internet freedom: Free to choose, The Economist

Facebook and Twitter could be asked to increase moderation of networks, The Guardian

The Economist addresses the issue of how much power technology giants like Google have over freedom of speech around the world in countries with different laws, both restrictive and relatively free. Meanwhile in the UK, the director of public prosecutions in exploring whether social media companies should take more responsibility for policing their networks for abuse and harassment in an attempt to reduce the number of cases coming to court, the Guardian reported.

Digital first isn’t an option for media – it’s the only way forward, GigaOm

The Orange County Register is hiring dozens of reporters, focusing on print-first expansion, Nieman Lab

Mathew Ingram believes that Digital First Media’s much-discussion bankruptcy has led to mistaken conclusions that the ‘digital first’ model, which CEO John Paton very vocally promotes, is flawed. Ingram makes a convincing argument for why the transition must be made, even if financial success is still hard to find. By contrast, of the digital first strategy’s dissenters is the Orange County Register, which, Adrienne LaFrance reports, is adding new print sections and cutting iPad editions, because print still makes more money. Neither strategy seems crazy, but which will pay out in the long run?

Even in Troubled Guatemalan Media, Journalism Ethics Matters, PBS MediaShift

Stephen Ward makes a good case for the importance of ethics even in countries where news media are struggling to survive. Using Guatemala as an example, “Ethics addresses the tough, real-world issues of journalists,” he writes, including achieving fair wages and benefits for reporters, creating diversity of ownership, and protecting journalists from attack. Ethics should never be merely a secondary consideration.