The 2014 World Press Freedom Index spotlights major decline in media freedom in the United States. The US has been listed along with countries such as Central African Republic and Guatemala in the Index, which was published on Wednesday by Reporters Without Borders (RWB).

The United States has gone 13 positions down to 46th in this year's index, which covers 180 countries.

RWB head of research Lucie Morillon said: "This year, the ranking of some countries, including democracies, has been impacted by an overly broad and abusive interpretation of the concept of national security protection."

Several factors, including armed conflicts, political instability and national security, restrict media freedom in many countries, according to the Index.

In countries where the rule of law prevails, security arguments are misused as grounds for restricting freedom of information. "Invoked too readily, the protection of national security is encroaching on hard-won democratic rights," the France-based non-profit organization noted, referring to the recent developments in the U.S.

"The trial and conviction of Private [Chelsea] Manning and the pursuit of the National Security Agency analyst Edward Snowden were warnings to all those thinking of assisting in the disclosure of sensitive information that would clearly be in the public interest," RWB says.

Both American and British authorities "seem obsessed with hunting down whistleblowers instead of adopting legislation to rein in abusive surveillance practices that negate privacy, a democratic value cherished in both countries."

The United Kingdom is ranked 33rd, three places down, distinguishing itself by its harassment of The Guardian.

In August last year, US Army Private Manning was sentenced to 35 years in jail for handing classified US government documents to the Wikileaks website.

American authorities charged US whistle-blower Edward Snowden with espionage and theft of government property after he stunned the world last year by leaking details of several secret mass electronic surveillance programs run by the United States.

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Reporters Without Borders Spotlights Major Decline In Media Freedom In US