FOLLOWING SEVERAL TERRORIST INCIDENTS WHICH RECEIVED INTENSIVE TELEVISION COVERAGE IN THE SPRING OF 1977, MANY POLITICIANS RECOMMENDED CHANGES IN FEDERAL AND STATE LAWS TO REGULATE FUTURE MEDIA COVERAGE. IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT TERRORISM WAS CONTAGIOUS AND THAT TELEVISION ONLY SERVED TO ADVERTISE THE ACTS OF THE TERRORISTS AND ENCOURAGE ADDITIONAL CRIMES. COUNTERARGUMENTS DENIED THE RIGHT OF GOVERNMENT TO INTERFERE IN REGULATION OF TELEVISION. ALTHOUGH SELF-REGULATION ACKNOWLEDGES JOURNALISTS' STATUS AS SEMI-PROFESSIONALS, BETTER REASONS EXIST FOR NOT ENACTING STRICT GOVERNMENT RULES. AN EXAMINATION AND EVALUATION OF THE MEDIA IN ITS COVERAGE OF THE SYMBIONESE LIBERATION ARMY AND THE HANAFI MUSLIMS INDICATES THAT INTENSIVE COVERAGE CAN ENDANGER BYSTANDERS AND HOSTAGES, BUT THAT STRICT CENSORSHIP CAN LEAD TO SPECULATIONS AND RUMORS, HAZARDOUS SIDE EFFECTS. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COVERAGE THAT WOULD KEEP THE PUBLIC INFORMED BUT PREVENT INCREASED TERRORISM INCLUDE FORMAL GUIDELINES FOR JOURNALISTS AND TRAINING WITH THE POLICE IN THE OPTIMUM COVERAGE OF A CRIMINAL INCIDENT. MUTUAL AGREEMENTS BETWEEN JOURNALISTS AND POLICE HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED, BUT ARE HEAVILY CRITICIZED FOR LACKING SUFFICIENT THE FLEXIBILITY TO FUNCTION IN THE VARIETY OF POTENTIAL SITUATIONS. A SURVEY OF NEWS DIRECTORS INDICATES THAT MOST WOULD CONTINUE LIVE BROADCASTING OF TERRORIST EVENTS EVEN IF IT WERE LIKELY THAT SOMEONE WOULD BE HURT OR KILLED ON CAMERA. ADDITIONAL SURVEY DATA AND PROPOSALS FOR REGULATION OF THE MEDIA ARE PRESENTED. TABULAR DATA AND FOOTNOTES ARE PROVIDED. (TWK)