It was leaked two weeks ago that a Federal Trade Commission investigation into the marketing of violent entertainment products would likely be critical of entertainment industries. Today, the FTC's official findings were released. Summing up the report, FTC chairman Robert Pitofsky said, "Target marketing to children of entertainment products with violent content is pervasive and aggressive."

　　The FTC has found that games and movies with violent content are consistently advertised in ways that expose younger audiences to the marketing message. The report also says that youth groups such as the Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts were also targeted. The FTC has recommended attempts to increase parental awareness of the issue and stronger self-regulation by entertainment industries to prevent the exposure of violent content to minors. The investigation did not examine the alleged link between violent content and an increase in the likelihood of violent behavior.

　　A number of critics have responded to the report. Among them, Robert Knight of the Family Research Council said, "Even if parents try to protect their children from explicit movies and violent video games, their kids are still being exposed to aggressive marketing campaigns in magazines, on TV, and on the Internet."

　　Violence in the entertainment industries has become an important issue in this year's presidential campaign, but high-level discussions often pay particular attention to Hollywood practices. Taking an aggressive stance on the issue, Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore has called for the adoption of the FTC recommendations within the next sixth months. George W. Bush, the Republican presidential candidate, has said he would work with leaders in the entertainment industries to limit the amount of violence in those industries.