No Such Thing as Bad Publicity: Rolling Stone Magazine Sales Double for Issue Featuring Boston Bomber

"I don't care what the newspapers say about me as long as they spell my name right." That pearl of cynical wisdom is attributed to PT Barnum, who knew a thing or three about attracting a crowd and making a buck.

As a society, we have done little to disprove his thesis, despite decades of dialogue on ethics and values, access to information about the harmful effects of publicity for wrongdoers and even legislative attempts to deny them the opportunity to benefit from their crimes.

The reason appears to be contained in yet another bon mot, noting that you can't legislate morality - or common sense.

The controversy about Rolling Stone's decision to feature one of the Tsarnaev brothers on its cover arguably drew more attention to that ill-fated terrorist action than did the cover itself. Which is exactly the point that publishers and others in the business of generating sales count on.

The broader societal question is why we are so drawn to celebrity and outrageous behavior. Perhaps most lives really are pedestrian so that the majority enjoy the occasional glimpse of glamor and danger, however lurid. Why, after all, are so many traffic tie-ups blamed on 'rubber necking' as motorists pass a grisly accident scene? We appear to forgive, as a matter of course, public officials guilty of moral and even legal transgressions and offer them a second and, sometimes, third chance. But there may well be a beneficial explanation, as well.

This theory is based on what businesses have come to know as 'management by exception.' As an organization or a civilization, we look for the unusual, the out of place, the exceptional to help us understand what the norms are; in effect what should be happening to keep things moving smoothly and safely. We use the occasional problem as a guide to help us avoid the unseemly, unsightly and disruptive.

As offended as many in the Boston area were by the magazine's decision, a read of the article tends to support the publishers' choice. They were, in an albeit sensationalistic fashion, attempting to say that this was an otherwise pretty normal kid who went really bad. Or, more dramatically, this could happen to you.

We dont usually like being confronted or challenged but we live in a world in which a lot of impulses vie for our attention. There will always be those who attempt to shock and affront us in order to grab our focus long enough to sell us something. But if we can get past our distaste and use our natural inclination to be distracted as a learning experience, society may yet benefit. JL

Rebecka Schumann reports in International Business Times:

Controversy has paid off for Rolling Stone magazine. Its August-issue cover featuring Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev sparked a rash of criticism and media attention -- and a major boost in sales.

According to a report from Adweek.com via sales information from the Magazine Information Network, Rolling Stone’s average per-issue sales in July increased 102 percent, effectively double the publication’s average sales from the previous year. The data was reportedly based on copies purchased from 1,420 retailers between July 19-29, numbering 13,232.
The Wenner Media magazine's decision to put Tsarnaev, the 19-year-old college student charged in the Boston Marathon bombing, met with harsh criticism nationwide. Following some retailers' decision to pull the magazine and readers threatening to boycott future editions, the magazine released a statement defending its decision to feature the Chechen native, calling him a relevant topic for their readers.
“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,” said the editors. “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.”
Rolling Stone’s latest controversial cover was compared to the edition in 1970 that featured Charles Manson, now 78, infamous for his connection in the murder of actress Sharon Tate. According to Adweek.com, the Manson edition was also a bestseller for the magazine.