Business & Tech

Sound Off: Stores Pull Rolling Stone Magazine From Shelves

Major retailers will not sell August issue because it features Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on the cover.

Written by Michael Ganci and Jaime Sumersille

Many are enraged about the August issue of Rolling Stone magazine, which features Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on the cover.

Several retailers have also refused to offer the latest issue on their shelves. CVS in Bellmore, Walgreens in Long Beach and Super Stop & Shop in Inwood confirmed to Patch that they are not displaying the new edition.

Patch readers also spoke out on social media.

"They have to be sensitive to the community if they expect to be able to do business with that community," Julie Wein added via the Wantagh-Seaford Patch Facebook page. "From a business standpoint they had no choice but to pull it. They would have lost too many customers otherwise."

"Just as Rolling Stone magazine has a right to put anyone they want on their cover, so does any retailer have the right not to sell any magazine they choose," said on the Levittown Patch Facebook page.

Others contend that the issue should be left on store shelves for public consumption. Via the Garden City Patch Facebook page, Lara Young called the issue "tricky." 

"While I personally wouldn't buy it, but not carrying this one issue is a form of censorship."

"Four words: freedom of the press," Merrick Patch Facebook user Jennifer Beitchman said. "Whether I agree with their choice or not, censorship in this country is getting a little out of control."

"I am a longtime subscriber to Rolling Stone and have no intention of boycotting the publication," Long Beach Patch Facebook user Mindy Wolfle said. "Rolling Stone is unusual in its coverage of a broad spectrum of news, politics, music, concerts, musicians and controversial subjects. We need more media - both print and otherwise - willing to expand the knowledge of its readers, listeners and viewers, rather than just spewing the same information that is available everywhere."


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here