(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - Dr. David Walsh, president and founder of the National Institute on Media and the Family and author of the best-selling book, WHY Do They Act That Way? A Survival Guide to the Adolescent Brain for You and Your Teen, today joined with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) to again alert parents about hidden pornographic content in the video game, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Dr. Walsh also called upon the video game's publisher, Rockstar Games, to immediately disclose whether they programmed the pornographic code onto the game's disk.

"America's parents and retailers need to know immediately if the code and pornographic animation are on the disk - hidden, locked or otherwise. We don't want technical runarounds," said Dr. Walsh. "In plain English, America wants to know 'is the code on the disk?'"

On Friday, July 8, 2005, the National Institute on Media and the Family issued a National Parental Warning that pornographic content in the video game can be accessed by downloading the "Hot Coffee" mod and directions online. This unlocks sexually graphic interactive scenes for all users. The National Institute on Media and the Family found directions to the pornographic material on popular teenage Web sites like bolt.com.

"If the code is on the disk, we call upon Rockstar to issue a general recall, with a full refund, of all units of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas so they can be properly labeled Adults Only (AO). On the other hand, if the "Hot Coffee" sequences have been created, independent of any Rockstar's actions, then parents everywhere need to be alerted. If interactive pornography can be so easily inserted into this video game, it can be inserted into any game."

"In any case, it is now more crucial than ever that parents be more vigilant about the video games their children are playing. We invite parents to join us in the MediaWise Network - Watch What Your Kids Watch," added Dr. Walsh.

Dr. Walsh also supports Senator Clinton's request of the Federal Trade Commission to determine the source of the pornographic content and to conduct an examination of the adequacy of retailer enforcement policies. In October 2003, Dr. Walsh participated in a Federal Trade Commission workshop to examine self-regulation in the entertainment industry, including children's access to entertainment products that have been rated or labeled as potentially inappropriate for them, and to discuss the results of the Commission's 2003 "mystery shopper survey."

The National Institute on Media and the Family is the world's leading and most respected research-based organization on the positive and harmful effects of media on children and youth. The National Institute on Media and the Family is an independent, nonpartisan, nonsectarian, and nonprofit organization that is based on research, education, and advocacy. Its MediaWise® movement is being adopted in communities throughout the country to help families make wiser media choices and encourage parents to "Watch What Your Kids Watch." For more information, please visit www.mediafamily.org and www.mediafamily.org on the Web or call 1-888-672-5437.