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Rolling Stone cover on alleged Boston bomber 'once a charming kid' causes online fury

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By Jennifer Faull, Deputy Editor

July 17, 2013 | 4 min read

Rolling Stone magazine has run into a storm with a cover featuring accused Boston marathon bomber Jahar Tsarnaev . Online commenters say the photo portrays the man allegedly responsible for killing three people and injuring many more as a pop star.Many said the magazine has chosen to glorify terrorism, claiming Rolling Stone is trying to depict Tsarnaev as a ‘rock star’, ‘Jonas brother’ or ‘Bob Dylan’. On Rolling Stone's Facebook page one man suggested that "Jeff Bauman, who lost both legs, should be on cover." That remark brought in more than 2,200 "likes", said AdAge. Rolling Stone's own Facebook post with the cover has just over 1,400."A few years ago you had a contest where the most popular unsigned band got the glory of being on the cover of your magazine," another Facebook commenter wrote. "Who knew all you had to do was bomb a bunch of innocent people to have Rolling Stone make you look like a rock star?""The RS cover makes the bomber look like the new Jim Morrison," a commenter said on a Rolling Stone blog post promoting the issue. "A star is born and a once-great mag circles the drain."Erin DiGuardia wrote,"I pray the moron who's idea this was and the bigger idiots who approved this cover are fired and laughed out of the publishing industry. How insulting and insensitive to the American people. "A down right un-American move, by a magazine that is suppose to be iconic and in touch with our culture. A very out of touch move!! You're next cover should just say; "We're sorry. We were wrong."John Baxter wrote, " I can't help but think there will be disturbed individuals out their who will commit mass murder to get on cover of Rolling Stone mag. There is no reason to give him the front cover like he's an idol."Natalie S wrote, "This cover is the reason monsters like this exist. You give them the fame and attention they seek which in turn motivates more monsters to come out of the woodwork. So, congratulations. NEVER buying your rubbish magazine again.The cover supports a feature "Jahar's World"by contributing editor Janet Reitman which the magazine calls a "deeply reported account of the life and times of Boston bomber Jahar Tsarnaev." Reitman, says the mag, spent the last two months interviewing dozens of sources – childhood and high school friends, teachers, neighbors and law enforcement agents, many of whom spoke for the first time about the case – "to deliver a riveting and heartbreaking account of how a charming kid with a bright future became a monster. "Despite the plethora of criticism and ‘Rolling Stone’ trending on Twitter, as well as stores like Tedeschi Food Shops and CVS refusing to stock the issue, the publication has not yet commented.

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