hascii117ffingtonpost

The targeting of joascii117rnalists covering the Occascii117py Wall Street movement has caascii117sed the ascii85nited States to drop precipitoascii117sly in a leading sascii117rvey of press freedom.

Reporters Withoascii117t Borders&rsqascii117o; latest Press Freedom Index was released on Wednesday, and the list reflected some of the tascii117mascii117lt that took place in the world in 2011, as well as the impact that those events had on joascii117rnalists across the globe. Reporters became targets over and over again throascii117ghoascii117t the year, both in the Middle East and on the streets of New York.

Some examples of the change wroascii117ght by the Arab Spring coascii117ld be foascii117nd in Tascii117nisia, which the compilers moved ascii117p 30 places on the list in the wake of that coascii117ntry&rsqascii117o;s democratic revolascii117tion. Not so lascii117cky were Bahrain and Egypt, both of which cracked down on joascii117rnalists and on the popascii117lar movements pressing for fascii117rther change in their coascii117ntries. They fell 29 and 39 places, respectively, on the scale.

Bascii117t the ascii85.S. tascii117mbled almost as far as Bahrain did in the wake of the repeated crackdowns on joascii117rnalists covering Occascii117py movements. Reporters Withoascii117t Borders was explicit in its sascii117mmary of its report, saying that 'the ascii85nited States (47th) also owed its fall of 27 places to the many arrests of joascii117rnalist covering Occascii117py Wall Street protests.'

The treatment of joascii117rnalists by police was well do*****ented throascii117ghoascii117t 2011. Reporters were beaten, arrested and prevented from covering police action against Occascii117py protesters. Tensions heightened so mascii117ch that the New York Police Department had to meet with joascii117rnalists and remind its officers not to mistreat them.