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On the Cover of the Rolling Stone

The Shop Talk panelists discuss the uproar over the photo of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.

Critics contend the photo makes Tsarnaev look like a rock star. Some people are calling for a boycott of the magazine. Walgreens and CVS have said they won’t sell the issue. The New York Times reported that one man has even said he will buy as many copies as possible and burn them.

The Times’ editorial boardis backing the magazine.  It pointed out the same photo has been used by other outlets, including The Times itself. The paper said an appearance on a magazine cover is not an endorsement.

The Shop Talk panelists also support the magazine. They believe the photo serves a purpose – it demonstrates that you can’t always tell who the bad guys are just from looking at them. They also wonder how many of the people upset by the photo have taken the time to read the accompanying article in the magazine.

The uproar over the photo was also the subject of a debate on Q Monday night on Tri States Public Radio. You can check it out here.  It’s well worth a listen.

Rich is TSPR's News Director.