'Rolling Stone' Under Fire for Cover Featuring Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

What's This?

By Dhiya Kuriakose2013-07-17 20:40:24 UTC

Twitter found a new villain today: Rolling Stone magazine.

The magazine selected Dzhokhar Tsarnaev for the cover of its July 19 issue, which many on the Internet found offense at. Rolling Stone's Facebook post linking to the article received thousands of comments from angry and annoyed readers, many of whom discussed boycotting the publication.

Many reacted fervently on Twitter, too.

Celebrities chimed in with disapproval:

Then, a letter surfaced from Boston Mayor Thomas Menino to Rolling Stone, expressing his disapproval.

The cover caused enough of an uproar that several retailers — CVS Pharmacy and Roche Bros. — refused to stock the issue.

Not all the conversation around the cover was negative. Many users defended the Rolling Stone cover by citing precedents of terror suspects on magazine covers in the past.

It's also not the first time big publications have ran with controversial covers. In fact, the New York Times ran the exact image on its front page in May.

The article is an insightful and well-researched look into the man who has become a familiar face not only in Boston, but across the United States. It delves into Tsarnaev's background and possible motivations.

The magazine issued a statement above the article, which read:

Our hearts go out to the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing, and our thoughts are always with them and their families. The cover story we are publishing this week falls within the traditions of journalism and Rolling Stone’s long-standing commitment to serious and thoughtful coverage of the most important political and cultural issues of our day. The fact that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is young, and in the same age group as many of our readers, makes it all the more important for us to examine the complexities of this issue and gain a more complete understanding of how a tragedy like this happens. –THE EDITORS

What do you think of Rolling Stone's cover? Do you find it offensive? Let us know in the comments.

Image: Mashable composite, Rolling Stone

Topics: boston bombings, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, Dzhozkar Tsarnaev, Media, Politics, rolling stone, U.S., US & World