Rolling Stone's upcoming story on Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has already churned up controversy, and it's not even out yet. The decision to put Tsarnaev on the cover has caused outrage from people who think that it's some sort of glorification. But USA TODAY's Rem Rieder has a more sensible take:
Don't stone 'Rolling Stone' over Boston bomber cover
Just three years ago, Gen. Stanley McChrystal lost his job as commander of the U.S. forces in Afghanistan because of an article in Rolling Stone that featured caustic comments about President Obama by the general and his aides. Back in the 1970s, it featured the groundbreaking political coverage of gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson. And, speaking of mass murderers, Charles Manson was once on the cover of Rolling Stone.
While the full text of the article isn't scheduled to be released until Friday, it hardly sounds like a puff piece. Here's the cover type: "THE BOMBER," followed by, "How a Popular, Promising Student Was Failed by his Family, Fell Into Radical Islam and Became a Monster."
I don't know about you, but to me calling somebody a monster doesn't sound much like glorifying him.