The arguments for smarter public support of journalism, the rise of civic engagement in social media, and the changing practices of foreign correspondents: all that and more in this month’s roundup of the academic literature.

Activists, journalists, and others could use the mobile tool kit to share information on SIM cards the way files are shared on thumb drives.

Plus: Lessons from the Petraeus scandal, war on social media between Israel and Hamas, and the rest of the week’s media and tech must-reads.