Rolling Stone magazine became part of a story itself when it unveiled its cover with Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. The decision sparked boycotts from Boston area retailers and was criticized by countless people on social media, but the buzz turned into sales, doubling average sales.
AdWeek is reporting that the Magazine Information Network confirmed that sales for the issue were 102 percent better than the average per-issue for the year so far. Between July 19 to July 29, sales at 1,420 retailers reached 13,232 copies.
Ever since the magazine cover was revealed on July 16, Rolling Stone was criticized for glorifying the 19-year-old as a rock star or celebrity, like the typical stars featured on the magazine’s covers. The headline read “The Bomber” and advertized a lengthy profile of Tsarnaev written by editor Janet Reitman.
When the full story was posted online, the editors defended the decision, writing, “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.”
Still, retailers like CVS refused to sell the magazine and even Boston politicians voiced opposition. Later, a Massachusetts State Police Officer leaked photos of an injured Tsarnaev as he was arrested to Boston Magazine to counter the Rolling Stone cover.
image: Rolling Stone