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A look at the state of US press freedom

When do security concerns trump free speech? When should whistleblowers be sent to jail, along with the journalists who report on their leaks?

Is it okay for police to arrest journalists -- along with protesters, when the officers are breaking up demonstrations?

That last question may be the easiest to answer. But the conflicts between government agents and journalists all relate to recent erosions of press freedom in the United States.

The United States plummeted 27 places in the latest Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index. The non-profit group placed the primary blame on the rough treatment of journalists covering the Occupy protests across the country. The arrests of about 25 journalists during public demonstrations also caused
the US to drop in the Freedom House press freedom rankings.

Host David Reed spoke with the director of the Freedom House index, Karin Deutsch Karlekar. He was also joined by Denver Nicks, author of a new book about the source of Wikileaks, and Jared Malsin, a freelance journalist who was arrested while covering an Occupy Wall Street protest.

Rehman Tungekar is a former producer for KBIA, who left at the beginning of 2014.