Conn. school shooting prompts motion picture group to expand movie ratings

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The Motion Pictures Association of America is changing its rating system to better inform parents about violence in movies.

CEO Christopher Dodd announced the tweaks in Las Vegas Tuesday at the annual movie-theatre convention, CinemaCon.

The White House has called on the movie industry to give parents better tools to monitor violence in media since the Newtown, Conn., school shooting.

Dodd did not address the shooting directly but spoke generally about the need to help parents control what their kids see.

The new ratings system will include descriptions about why a movie received its ratings.

For example, the rating might cite “strong carnage” or “war violence.”