White House Media Violence Meeting Focused on Videogames

A White House meeting on media violence Thursday primarily focused on videogames and didn’t stray into other types of media, said Parents Television Council Program Director Melissa Henson in an interview. The meeting was closed to the press. Henson said the proceeding was “more about fact gathering,” and President Donald Trump didn’t make any policy pronouncements or announce any conclusions. Videogame industry officials argued in the meeting that industry self-regulation is the only model that makes sense, but an effective ratings system would have to be administered by an outside party, Henson said. PTC has made similar arguments about the ratings system for TV. The Entertainment Software Association "welcomed the opportunity" to meet with Trump, the association said in a statement. ESA discussed scientific studies that argue there's no connection between video games and violence, First Amendment protections, and the video game industry rating system, ESA said. "We appreciate the President’s receptive and comprehensive approach to this discussion.” The White House didn't comment.