Rolling Stone magazine's decision to run a cover photo of alleged Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev prompted strong reaction from readers Wednesday. Those who objected said Rolling Stone portrayed the suspect in a sympathetic light, or — going further — said the photograph gave Tsarnaev celebrity status. First Amendment defenders supported Rolling Stone's right to provoke thoughtful discussion with the cover shot.
Rolling Stone has since published reporter Janet Reitman's piece on Tsarnaev, his family and his circle of friends. While the magazine cover drew criticism, the reporting has not. On Boston Public Radio Jim Braude and Margery Eagan looked at the details of Reitman's extensive article, and asked callers who'd read it to weigh in.
What do you think — did substance trump sensationalism? Was the cover disrespectful, regardless of article content? What can we learn from this?
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