The Rolling Stones Boston Bomber

The Rolling Stones magazine is known for main publications on movie stars and music artists. They also have news on politics and other important events, however I do not believe that a photo of the Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev belongs on this magazine cover in the way that it was presented. I do agree with the author Fred Ritchin that this photo has presented this bomber in a glamorous way that is indeed insulting to the victims of this tragedy and their family members. Every image is interpreted differently but the presentation, lighting, and caption, all play a major role in depicting the meaning of a photograph. The Rolling Stones Magazine made terrorist Dzhokhar look like a famous hero or movie star by the lighting on his face, the rock star hairstyle, and his posture. In my opinion, Dzhokhar looked more like a new music artist as opposed to a bomber. If there was a photo that was similar to a mug shot or made him look like a criminal then it would be just fine on the cover of this magazine. The title “The Bomber” in all capital letters makes this terrorist look even more famous. It was not a wise decision to present this photo on the cover of The Rolling Stones Magazine in this way because it can give others the ides that they will become famous if they do something wrong. The Rolling Stones magazine is at fault for presenting this bomber in a famous way because The New York Times used the same photograph on their cover, added a caption that was more suitable to the photo and did not receive any complaints. This goes to show that it is not only the photo, but the caption or title that can determine the message and effect of a photo.