The United States has slipped down further in this year's World Press Freedom ranking.

The U.S. dropped to 49^th place in the 2015 index, from 32^nd in 2012 and 2013. 

Press safety and freedom group Reporters Without Borders blamed the drop mainly on the arrests of journalists covering the Ferguson protests last August.

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Eleven journalists were detained while covering the protests.  The Committee To Protect Journalists (CPJ) said dozens others were hurt as police fired tear gas and rubber bullets.

The reporters who were briefly detained include one from Sports Illustrated, two from Telegraph and a photographer from Getty Images.

In the same month, CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney appealed to authorities to stop the media harassment.

"Ferguson is an international story, and journalists are going to cover it. They have a right to do so without fearing for their safety or liberty," said Mahoney.

The Reporters Without Borders also cited the lack of a shield law in the U.S.  This measure is designed to protect reporters' right to refuse to testify to any information obtained during news gathering.  A New York Times reporter was involved in a legal spat, on whether he should testify in the trial of a CIA officer, accused of leaking information to him. 

The index, which ranked 180 countries, placed Finland at number one spot, or the country where journalists are most safe and free.  It is followed by Norway and Denmark, placing second and third respectively. 

Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea took the last three spots or the countries with the worst media censorship. 

Tagspress freedom, US, Ferguson, reporters