Because policing is fragmented into a multiplicity of agencies of varying sizes and standards of training and performance, it can be assumed that most agencies do not have the resources, the skills, or the organization to deal with a prolonged terrorist incident. Further, the alienation of the police from the community means they are not skilled in human relations and communication skills, which are required in dealing with the news media, particularly in tense situations. Police resistance to innovation compounds the problems of fragmentation and insularity. Ideally, those law enforcement agencies which deal with prolonged terrorist incidents should not only have developed a plan for the deployment of personnel to deal with the incident but also for dealing with media personnel on the scene. A policy of frequent, accurate, and complete communication with the media through media liaison officers should be adopted. Tactics to constrain the media unnecessarily should be avoided. While the media can cause the police problems when they do not act responsibly to serve the end of saving lives, the media can also relieve fears in the community about the incident by providing full reports of what is happening. The police must depend upon the media to regulate themselves in providing balanced and reasonable coverage of the incident. The media should be made aware of police guidelines governing media access to the scene of terrorist incidents prior to the occurrence of such incidents.