U.S. Drops 27 Places on World Press Freedom List...Now Tied with Romania

The arrests of more than two dozen journalists during the “Occupy” protests of 2011 are among the reasons why the United States saw its free-press ranking drop significantly in the latest report from Reporters Without Borders.

In the group’s 2011-2012 Press Freedom Index, the U.S., generally known for its dedication to free speech and freedom of the press, dropped 27 places on one year. It is now ranked 47th, tied with Romania and Argentina.

“I think the Occupy Wall Street arrests were our biggest concern,” Delphine Halgand, Reporters Without Borders’ Washington, DC director told Courthouse News...