Lieberman Announces Legislation To Study Media Effects

If passed, the legislation would create a program within the National Institutes of Health to fund studies measuring the health effects of media on children. In announcing the legislation, Lieberman took a hard swipe at Grand Theft Auto III. "We are particularly interested in the impact of interactive media on our kids, now that the Internet has become such a staple and video games sales have surpassed movie box office receipts," Lieberman said. "For one thing, we should know whether games like Grand Theft Auto that celebrate violence against women, beyond being sick and offensive, are actually leading to more violence against women." On the bright side, this legistration is much milder than legislation Lieberman sponsored last year. In 2002 he wanted to expand the Federal Trade Commission's authority to crack down on media companies that engage in "false and deceptive advertising practices" by targeting children with adult material.