Rolling Stone Bomber Cover Outrages Readers

Boston officials reacted with outrage Wednesday (July 17) to an upcoming cover of Rolling Stone magazine, featuring an image of accused marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

The August issue of the magazine depicts Tsarnaev, with long, shaggy hair and sporting a light beard and moustache, over the headline: "The bomber: How a popular, promising student was failed by his family, fell into radical Islam and became a monster."

Tsarnaev, 19, looks thinner and younger in the photo than he appeared last week in a Boston federal court to face charges related to the bombing, which carry the threat of execution.

Rolling Stone said the article reveals a few new details about Tsarnaev, including that he once told a high school friend that he believed terrorist attacks could be justified and he "took his religion seriously," according to a friend cited in the article.

In a statement, Rolling Stone said, "Our hearts go out to the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing, and our thoughts are always with them and their families. 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. The fact that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is young, and in the same age group as many of our readers, makes it all the more important for us to examine the complexities of this issue and gain a more complete understanding of how a tragedy like this happens."

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said the cover was in poor taste, "Why heroize this guy? He's just a.. he's a terrorist we don't want him on any awards. We don't want him on magazines. We don't want him anywhere."

Music legends ranging from Bob Dylan to Jay-Z, as well as actors and other celebrities, have graced the magazine's covering over its 45-year history. The decision to put Tsarnaev on the cover drew a wave of outrage on social media.

Presented by Adam Justice