128 Human Rights in Counter-Terrorism Investigations Building public trust in law enforcement activities is pivotal in the anti-terrorism context. Civil society organizations contribute to the prevention of terrorism through their activities addressing the conditions conducive to terrorism, such as by promoting human rights and non-discrimination, preventing and resolving tensions within and between communities, or supporting victims of terrorism to counter the dehumanization of victims in terrorist narratives. Law enforcement authorities should, therefore, seek to engage with civil society organizations based on transparency, trust and accountability. 4.2.2 The Media Another means of being accountable to the public is through the mass media. This is the ideal way of informing the public of terrorism-related crimes that have taken place and of providing reassurances that law enforcement agencies are working hard to deal with them and to prevent further offences. It has the added advantage of giving law enforcement agencies, in particular the police, the choice of what to say and when to say it. Information can thus be released at a time when it best suits the needs of the investigation. The relationship with the media needs to be nurtured, but also needs to be kept on a professional basis. It is essential that law enforcement agencies and the media have strong relationships, recognizing their respective roles in society. A free press is one of the cornerstones of a democratic society and is not served by a relationship of mutual mistrust and hostility, or by collusion between the media and law enforcement. Law enforcement agencies and the media should co-operate, but law enforcement agencies have to recognize that the media play a role in holding them to account, by questioning them and drawing attention to problems, as well as when things have gone well. As far as possible, commensurate with the need to ensure confidentiality, the police should be open with journalists about what they are doing and why they are doing it. They should never lie to reporters or deceive them, as eventually this will almost certainly backfire. A pitfall to be aware of is the potential for law enforcement statements that are broadcast or published to affect the right to a fair trial, such as in the presumption of innocence. When an alleged terrorism-related crime has taken place it is very easy for the police spokesperson to use immoderate language in describing what has happened and in expressing opinions about the morality of the suspects. There is a need to be especially careful when circulating details about wanted persons, particularly if they are named or if information