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Rolling Stone
The cover of the 1000th edition of Rolling Stone, titled 'Our 1000th issue', depicting a large crowd of entertainers performing on a stage.
The cover of the 1,000th edition of Rolling Stone, May 18 – June 1, 2006
Co-editors-in-chiefSean Woods
Shirley Halperin
CategoriesPopular culture
FrequencyMonthly
PublisherBrian Szejka
Total circulation
(June 2023)		423,377[1]
FounderJann Wenner
Ralph J. Gleason
First issueNovember 9, 1967; 57 years ago (1967-11-09)
CompanyPenske Media Corporation
CountryUnited States
Based in475 Fifth Avenue, 10th Floor, New York City, U.S.
LanguageEnglish
Websiterollingstone.com
ISSN0035-791X
OCLC969027590

Rolling Stone is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.

The magazine was first known for its coverage of rock music and political reporting by Hunter S. Thompson. In the 1990s, the magazine broadened and shifted its focus to a younger readership interested in youth-oriented television shows, film actors, and popular music.[2] It has since returned to its traditional mix of content, including music, entertainment, and politics.

The first magazine was released in 1967 and featured John Lennon on the cover, and was then published every two weeks. It is known for provocative photography and its cover photos, featuring musicians, politicians, athletes, and actors. In addition to its print version in the United States, it publishes content through Rollingstone.com and numerous international editions.

The magazine experienced a rapid rise during the 1970s, followed by a sharp decline into financial turmoil in the 21st century,[3] leading Jann Wenner to sell 49 percent of the magazine to BandLab Technologies in 2016 and 51 percent to Penske Media Corporation (PMC) in 2017.[4][5] PMC eventually acquired the 49 percent stake from BandLab Technologies in 2019, giving it full ownership of the magazine.[6]

History

[edit]

1967–1979: Founding and early history

[edit]

Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and Ralph J. Gleason.[7] To pay for the setup costs, Wenner borrowed $7,500 (equivalent to $71,000 in 2024[8]) from his family and the parents of his soon-to-be wife, Jane Schindelheim.[9] The first issue was released on November 9, 1967, and featured John Lennon in costume for the film How I Won the War on the cover. It was in newspaper format with a lead article on the Monterey International Pop Festival.[10] The cover price was 25¢ (equivalent to $2.27 in 2023) and it was published bi-weekly.

In the first issue,[11] Wenner explained the magazine's title and mission:

You're probably wondering what we're trying to do. It's hard to say: sort of a magazine and sort of a newspaper. The name of it is Rolling Stone, which comes from an old saying, "A rolling stone gathers no moss." Muddy Waters used the name for a song he wrote. The Rolling Stones took their name from Muddy's song. Like a Rolling Stone was the title of Bob Dylan's first rock and roll record. We have begun a new publication reflecting what we see are the changes in rock and roll and the changes related to rock and roll.[12][13]

Some authors have attributed the name solely to Dylan's hit single: "At [Ralph] Gleason's suggestion, Wenner named his magazine after a Bob Dylan song."[14]

Rolling Stone initially identified with and reported the hippie counterculture of the era. It distanced itself, however, from the underground newspapers of the time, such as the Berkeley Barb, embracing more traditional journalistic standards and avoiding the radical politics of the underground press. In the first edition, Wenner wrote that Rolling Stone "is not just about the music, but about the things and attitudes that music embraces".[15] In a 2017 article celebrating the publication's 50th anniversary, Rolling Stone's David Browne stated that the magazine's name was a nod to the Rolling Stones in an addition to "Rollin' Stone" and "Like a Rolling Stone".[16]

The magazine's long-running slogan, "All the news that fits", was provided by early contributor, manager, and sometime editor Susan Lydon. She lifted it from an April Fools issue of the Columbia Daily Spectator which posted "All the news that fits we print", a parody of The New York Times' slogan, "All The News That's Fit To Print".[17] The first appearance of the rubric was in 1969.[18]

In the 1970s, Rolling Stone began to make a mark with its political coverage, with the likes of gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson writing for the magazine's political section. Thompson first published his most famous work, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1971), within the pages of Rolling Stone, where he remained a contributing editor until his death in 2005.[19] In the 1970s, the magazine also helped launch the careers of many prominent authors, including Cameron Crowe, Lester Bangs, Joe Klein, Joe Eszterhas, Ben Fong-Torres, Patti Smith and P. J. O'Rourke. It was at this point that the magazine ran some of its most famous stories. The January 21, 1970, issue covered the Altamont Free Concert and the killing of Meredith Hunter, which won a Specialized Journalism award at the National Magazine Awards in 1971.[20] Later in 1970, Rolling Stone published a 30,000-word feature on Charles Manson by David Dalton and David Felton, including their interview of Manson when he was in the L.A. County Jail awaiting trial, which won Rolling Stone its first National Magazine Award.[21] Four years later, they also covered the Patty Hearst abduction odyssey. One interviewer, speaking for many of his peers, said that he bought his first copy of the magazine upon initial arrival on his college campus, describing it as a "rite of passage".[2]

In 1972, Wenner assigned Tom Wolfe to cover the launch of NASA's last Moon mission, Apollo 17. He published a four-part series in 1973 titled "Post-Orbital Remorse", about the depression that some astronauts experienced after having been in space. After the series, Wolfe began researching the whole of the space program, in what became a seven-year project from which he took time to write The Painted Word (1975), a book on art, and to complete Mauve Gloves & Madmen, Clutter & Vine (1976), a collection of shorter pieces[22] and eventually The Right Stuff (1979).

The magazine began running the photographs of Annie Leibovitz in 1970. In 1973, she became its chief photographer, and her images appeared on more than 140 covers. Rolling Stone recruited writers from smaller music magazines, including Paul Nelson from Sing Out!, who became record reviews editor from 1978 to 1983, and Dave Marsh from Creem.[23] In 1977, the magazine moved its headquarters from San Francisco to New York City. Editor Jann Wenner said that San Francisco had become "a cultural backwater".[24]

1980–1999: Change to entertainment magazine

[edit]

Kurt Loder joined Rolling Stone in May 1979 and spent nine years there, including as editor. Timothy White joined as a writer from Crawdaddy and David Fricke from Musician.[23] Tom Wolfe wrote to Wenner to propose an idea drawn from Charles Dickens and William Makepeace Thackeray: to serialize a novel. Wenner offered Wolfe around $200,000 to serialize his work.[25] The frequent deadline pressure gave Wolfe the motivation he had sought, and from July 1984 to August 1985, he published a new installment in each biweekly issue of Rolling Stone. Later Wolfe was unhappy with his "very public first draft"[26] and thoroughly revised his work, even changing his protagonist, Sherman McCoy, and published it as The Bonfire of the Vanities in 1987.

Rolling Stone was known for its musical coverage and for Thompson's political reporting and in 1985, they hired an advertising agency to refocus its image under the series "Perception/Reality" comparing Sixties symbols to those of the Eighties, which led to an increase in advertising revenue and pages.[27] It also shifted to more of an entertainment magazine in the 1980s. It still had music as the main topic but began to increase its coverage of celebrities, films, and pop culture. It also began releasing its annual "Hot Issue".[28] In the 1990s, the magazine changed its format to appeal to a younger readership interested in youth-oriented television shows, film actors, and popular music. This led to criticism that the magazine was emphasizing style over substance.[2][3]

2000–2015: Expansion of readership

[edit]
Rolling Stone cover from 2004

After years of declining readership, the magazine experienced a major resurgence of interest and relevance with the work of two young journalists in the late 2000s, Michael Hastings and Matt Taibbi.[citation needed] Rob Sheffield also joined from Spin.[23] In 2005, Dana Leslie Fields, former publisher of Rolling Stone, who had worked at the magazine for 17 years, was an inaugural inductee into the Magazine Hall of Fame.[29] In 2009, Taibbi unleashed an acclaimed series of scathing reports on the financial meltdown of the time. He famously described Goldman Sachs as "a great vampire squid".[30]

In December 2009, the Los Angeles Times reported that the owners of Rolling Stone magazine planned to open a Rolling Stone restaurant in the Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood in the spring of 2010.[31] The expectation was that the restaurant could become the first of a national chain if it was successful.[32] As of November 2010, the "soft opening" of the restaurant was planned for December 2010.[33] In 2011, the restaurant was open for lunch and dinner as well as a full night club downstairs on the weekends.[34] The restaurant closed in February 2013.[35]

Bigger headlines came at the end of June 2010. Rolling Stone caused a controversy in the White House by publishing in the July issue an article by journalist Michael Hastings entitled "The Runaway General",[36] quoting criticism by General Stanley A. McChrystal, commander of the International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan commander, about Vice President Joe Biden and other Administration members of the White House. McChrystal resigned from his position shortly after his statements went public.[37][38][39][40] In 2010, Taibbi documented illegal and fraudulent actions by banks in the foreclosure courts, after traveling to Jacksonville, Florida and sitting in on hearings in the courtroom. His article, "Invasion of the Home Snatchers", also documented attempts by the judge to intimidate a homeowner fighting foreclosure and the attorney Taibbi accompanied into the court.[41][42]

In January 2012, the magazine ran exclusive excerpts from Hastings' book just prior to publication.[43] The book, The Operators: The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America's War in Afghanistan, provided a much more expansive look at McChrystal and the culture of senior American military and how they become embroiled in such wars. The book reached Amazon.com's bestseller list in the first 48 hours of release, and it received generally favorable reviews. Salon's Glenn Greenwald described it as "superb", "brave" and "eye-opening".[44] In 2012, Taibbi, through his coverage of the Libor scandal,[45] emerged as an expert on that topic, which led to media appearances outside Rolling Stone.[46][47] On November 9, 2012, the magazine published its first Spanish-language section on Latino music and culture, in the issue dated November 22.[48][49]

2016–present: New ownership

[edit]

In September 2016, Advertising Age reported that Wenner was in the process of selling a 49% stake of the magazine to a company from Singapore called BandLab Technologies. The new investor had no direct involvement in the editorial content of the magazine.[50]

In September 2017, Wenner Media announced that the remaining 51% of Rolling Stone magazine was up for sale.[51] In December 2017, Penske Media acquired the remaining stake from Wenner Media.[52] It became a monthly magazine from the July 2018 issue. On January 31, 2019, Penske acquired BandLab's 49% stake in Rolling Stone, gaining full ownership of the magazine.[53]

In January 2021, a Chinese edition of the magazine was launched,[54] while in September 2021, Rolling Stone launched a dedicated UK edition in conjunction with Attitude magazine publisher Stream Publishing.[55] The new British Rolling Stone launched into a marketplace which already featured titles like Mojo and BandLab Technologies's monthly music magazine Uncut.[56][57][58] The first issue had a choice of three cover stars (including music acts Bastille and Sam Fender, as well as No Time To Die actor Lashana Lynch), with the magazine due to be a bi-monthly publication.

In February 2022, Rolling Stone announced the acquisition of Life Is Beautiful, saying, "Live events are an integral part of Rolling Stone's future."[59]

In 2023 Rolling Stone was nominated for its first-ever Emmy award in the "Outstanding Interactive Media" category for its investigation into "The DJ and the War Crimes".[60] The piece also won a National Magazine Award for digital design[61] and an Overseas Press Club Award.[62] In December 2023 Rolling Stone collected five National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards,[63] four Front Page Awards,[64] and a Deadline Club award.[65]

In August 2025, Rolling Stone named Sean Woods and Shirley Halperin as co-editors in chief, with Halperin also becoming the magazine's head of music. Halperin is Rolling Stone's first female editor-in-chief.[66][67]

Covers

[edit]
See also: List of people on the United States cover of Rolling Stone

Some artists have been featured on the cover many times, and some of these pictures went on to become iconic. The Beatles, for example, have appeared on the cover more than 30 times, either individually or as a band.[68] The magazine is known for provocative photography and has featured musicians and celebrities on the cover throughout its history.[69][70] The cover of the issue from January 22, 1981, featuring John Lennon and Yoko Ono, has been called the "Greatest Rolling Stone Cover Ever" by Vanity Fair.[71]

The first ten issues featured, in order of appearance:

  1. John Lennon
  2. Tina Turner
  3. The Beatles
  4. Jimi Hendrix, Donovan and Otis Redding
  5. Jim Morrison
  6. Janis Joplin
  7. Jimi Hendrix
  8. Monterey International Pop Festival
  9. John Lennon and Paul McCartney
  10. Eric Clapton

The magazine spent $1 million (equivalent to $1.56 million in 2024) on the 3-D hologram cover of the special 1,000th issue (May 18, 2006) displaying multiple celebrities and other personalities.[72]

[edit]

The printed format has gone through several changes. The first publications, in 1967 to 1972, were in folded tabloid newspaper format, with no staples, only black ink text, and a single color highlight that changed each edition. From 1973 onwards, editions were produced on a four-color press with a different newsprint paper size. In 1979, the bar code appeared. In 1980, it became a gloss-paper, large-format (10 × 12 inch) magazine. Editions switched to the standard 8 × 11 inch magazine size starting on October 30, 2008.[73] Starting with the new monthly July 2018 issue, it returned to the previous 10 × 12 inch large format.[74] In June 2024, the magazine was redesigned with new exclusive fonts and a grittier paper stock.[75]

Website

[edit]

The publication's site at one time had an extensive message-board forum. By the late 1990s, this had developed into a thriving community, with many regular members and contributors worldwide. However, the site was also plagued with numerous Internet trolls, who vandalized the forum substantially.[76] The magazine abruptly deleted the forum in May 2004, then began a new, much more limited message board community on their site in late 2005, only to remove it again in 2006. In March 2008, the website started a new message board section once again, then deleted it in April 2010.

Rolling Stone devotes one of its table of contents pages to promoting material currently appearing on its website, listing detailed links to the items.

On April 19, 2010, the website underwent a redesign and began featuring the complete archives of Rolling Stone.[77] The archive was first launched under a for-pay model, but has since transitioned to a free-with-print-subscription model.[78] In the spring of 2012, Rolling Stone launched a federated search feature, which searches both the website and the archive.[79]

The website has become an interactive source of biographical information on music artists in addition to historical rankings from the magazine. Users can cross-reference lists and they are also provided with historical insights. For example, one group that is listed on both Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time is Toots and the Maytals, with biographical details that explain how the band coined the term "reggae" in their song "Do the Reggay".[80][81] For biographical information on all artists, the website contains a directory listed alphabetically.[82]

Glixel

[edit]

In May 2016, Wenner Media announced plans to create a separate online publication dedicated to the coverage of video games and video game culture. Gus Wenner, Jann Wenner's son and head of digital for the publication at the time, told The New York Times that "gaming is today what rock 'n' roll was when Rolling Stone was founded". Glixel was originally hosted on Rolling Stone's website, and transitioned to its own domain by October 2016. Stories from Glixel are included on the Rolling Stone website, while writers for Rolling Stone were also able to contribute to Glixel. The site was headed by John Davison, and its offices were located in San Francisco.[83][84] In June 2017, Rolling Stone closed down the Glixel offices and fired the entire staff, citing the difficulties of working with the remote site from their main New York office. Brian Crecente, founder of Kotaku and co-founder of Polygon, was hired as editorial director, and ran the site from the main New York office.[85] Following the sale of Rolling Stone's assets to Penske Media Corporation, the Glixel content was merged into the routine publishing of Variety, with Crecente remaining as editorial director.[86]

Political alignment

[edit]
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In 2017, Graham Ruddick of The Guardian described Rolling Stone as a "rock'n'roll magazine turned liberal cheerleader".[87] Bruce Schulman wrote in The Washington Post that Rolling Stone has "routinely support[ed] liberal candidates and causes" since the 1990s.[88]

In 2008, conservative columnist Jonah Goldberg stated that Rolling Stone had "essentially become the house organ of the Democratic National Committee".[89] Rolling Stone editor Jann Wenner has made all of his political donations to Democrats,[90] and has conducted high-profile interviews for the magazine with Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.[87] Rolling Stone endorsed Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the run-up for the 2016 U.S. presidential election.[91]

Rolling Stone has criticized Republican Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump.[87] In 2006, it described Bush as the "worst president in history".[92][87] In August 2017, the cover of the magazine featured Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau with the headline "Why can't he be our president?"[87]

Criticism and controversies

[edit]

One major criticism of Rolling Stone involves its generational bias toward the 1960s and 1970s. One critic referred to the magazine's "500 Greatest Songs" list as an example of "unrepentant rockist fogeyism".[93] In further response to this issue, rock critic Jim DeRogatis, a former Rolling Stone editor, published a thorough critique of the magazine's lists in a book called Kill Your Idols: A New Generation of Rock Writers Reconsiders the Classics, which featured differing opinions from many younger critics.[94]

Rolling Stone has been criticized for reconsidering many classic albums that it had previously dismissed, and for frequent use of the 3.5-star rating. For example, Led Zeppelin was largely written off by Rolling Stone critics during the band's most active years in the 1970s, but by 2006, a cover story on the band honored them as "the Heaviest Band of All Time".[95] A critic for Slate magazine described a conference at which 1984's The Rolling Stone Record Guide was scrutinized. As he described it, "The guide virtually ignored hip-hop and ruthlessly panned heavy metal, the two genres that within a few years would dominate the pop charts. In an auditorium packed with music journalists, you could detect more than a few anxious titters: How many of us will want our record reviews read back to us 20 years hence?"[93]

The hiring of former FHM editor Ed Needham in 2002 further enraged critics who alleged that Rolling Stone had lost its credibility.[96]

The 2003 "100 Greatest Guitarists of all Time" list, which named only two female musicians, resulted in Venus Zine answering with their own list, entitled "The Greatest Female Guitarists of All Time".[97]

Rolling Stone film critic Peter Travers has been criticized for his high number of repetitively used blurbs.[98][99]

Homosexual HIV story

[edit]

In 2003, the article "Bug Chasers: The men who long to be HIV+" claimed that homosexuals who intentionally sought to be infected with HIV accounted for 25% of new cases each year. However, the physicians cited in the article later denied making such statements.[100][101][102]

Anti-vaccine article

[edit]

In 2005, the article "Deadly Immunity", by anti-vaxxine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., attracted criticism for quoting material out of context, and Rolling Stone eventually amended the story with corrections in response to these and other criticisms.[103]

Tsarnaev cover

[edit]

The August 2013 Rolling Stone cover, featuring then-accused (and later convicted) Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, drew widespread criticism for "glamorizing terrorism", and was called a "slap in the face to the great city of Boston".[104] The online edition of the article was accompanied by a short editorial stating that the story "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".[105] The controversial cover photograph that was used by Rolling Stone had previously featured on the front page of The New York Times on May 5, 2013.[106]

In response to the outcry, New England–based CVS Pharmacy and Tedeschi Food Shops banned their stores from carrying the issue.[107] They were later joined by Walgreens,[108] Rite Aid, Kmart,[109] Roche Bros., Stop & Shop,[110] H-E-B, Walmart,[111] 7-Eleven,[112] Hy-Vee, Rutter's Farm, United Supermarkets,[113] Cumberland Farms, Market Basket,[114] and Shaw's.[115]

Boston mayor Thomas Menino sent a letter to Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner, calling the cover "ill-conceived, at best [...] [it] reaffirms a message that destruction gains fame for killers and their 'causes'." Menino also wrote, "To respond to you in anger is to feed into your obvious market strategy", and that Wenner could have written about the survivors or the people who came to help after the bombings instead. In conclusion he wrote, "The survivors of the Boston Marathon deserve Rolling Stone cover stories, though I no longer feel that Rolling Stone deserves them."[116]

Defamatory false rape story and lawsuit

[edit]
Main article: A Rape on Campus

On November 19, 2014, the magazine ran the story "A Rape on Campus", about an alleged gang rape on the campus of the University of Virginia.[117] Separate inquiries by Phi Kappa Psi, the fraternity accused by Rolling Stone of facilitating the alleged rape, and The Washington Post revealed major errors, omissions and discrepancies in the story.[118][119] Reporter Sabrina Erdely's story was subject to intense media criticism.[118][120] The Washington Post and Boston Herald issued calls for magazine staff involved in the report to be fired.[121] Rolling Stone subsequently issued three apologies for the story.

On December 5, 2014, Rolling Stone's managing editor, Will Dana, apologized for not fact-checking the story.[122] The magazine commissioned an outside investigation of the story and its problems by the dean of the Columbia School of Journalism. The report uncovered journalistic failure in the UVA story and institutional problems with reporting at Rolling Stone.[123] Rolling Stone retracted the story on April 5, 2015.[124] The next day, following the investigation and retraction of the story, Phi Kappa Psi announced plans to pursue all available legal action against Rolling Stone, including claims of defamation.[125]

On May 12, 2015, UVA associate dean Nicole Eramo, chief administrator for handling sexual assault issues at the school, filed a $7.5 million defamation lawsuit in Charlottesville Circuit Court against Rolling Stone and Erdely, claiming damage to her reputation and emotional distress. Said the filing, "Rolling Stone and Erdely's highly defamatory and false statements about Dean Eramo were not the result of an innocent mistake. They were the result of a wanton journalist who was more concerned with writing an article that fulfilled her preconceived narrative about the victimization of women on American college campuses, and a malicious publisher who was more concerned about selling magazines to boost the economic bottom line for its faltering magazine, than they were about discovering the truth or actual facts."[126] On November 4, 2016, after 20 hours of deliberation,[127] a jury consisting of eight women and two men found Rolling Stone, the magazine's publisher and Erdely liable for defaming Eramo, and awarded Eramo $3 million.[128]

On July 29, 2015, three graduates of the fraternity Phi Kappa Psi filed a lawsuit against Rolling Stone, its publisher Wenner Media, and a journalist for defamation and infliction of emotional distress.[129] The same day, and just months after the controversy began, The New York Times reported that managing editor Will Dana was departing the magazine with his last date recorded as August 7, 2015.[130] On November 9, 2015, the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity filed suit for $25 million for damages to its reputation caused by the magazine's publication of the story, "with reckless disregard for the truth".[131][132] Rolling Stone paid the fraternity $1.65 million to settle the suit out of court.[133]

Ethics controversy over El Chapo interview

[edit]

In 2016, Rolling Stone commissioned Sean Penn to write a feature on Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán in what was billed as a landmark story and Guzmán's first-ever interview. Penn met Guzmán, then wanted by Mexican and U.S. authorities, at a jungle hideout for an interview, which was agreed to by Guzmán on the condition he have final editorial control over the article.[134] Upon publication, the article, characterized by the Associated Press as "long and rambling", was extensively mocked by social media users and prompted a discussion about the magazine's ethical standards.[135] Andrew Seaman, chairman of the ethics committee of the Society of Professional Journalists, called the decision to allow a source pre-approval of an article "inexcusable", while the Poynter Institute's chief ethicist Kelly McBride opined that the article evidenced several failures of editorial control by Rolling Stone.[134][136] In an interview with NPR, Alfredo Corchado, a former Mexico City bureau chief for the Dallas Morning News, said that pre-approval rights meant the story was not real journalism: "It's business, it's Hollywood. It's more in the lines of what a public relations firm would do."[137]

Questions also arose as to whether relaxed security procedures by the magazine helped authorities track and capture Guzmán, who was arrested several days after the interview was conducted.[138] Meanwhile, Kate del Castillo, who arranged the meeting, said that she had to flee the country after the article's publication, and charged that Penn had "used me as a bait, and then he never protected me. And risked my life and my parents' life and my sister's life and everybody surrounding me."[139]

Penn later said his article "had failed", noting that discussion about the ethics of the story overshadowed the actual report.[140]

False ivermectin story

[edit]

In September 2021, Rolling Stone picked up a story published by Oklahoma news outlet KFOR which claimed that so many people had been hospitalized due to ivermectin overdoses in Oklahoma that there was no room in intensive care units for other patients, including those with gunshot wounds.[141] However, an Oklahoma hospital said in a statement that there was no shortage of beds due to ivermectin overdoses,[141][142] and the doctor who had been interviewed by KFOR had not said that ivermectin cases were crowding out other patients, but the initial story and subsequent coverage had linked separate comments about ivermectin overdoses and scarce beds.[141][143] CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale stated that Rolling Stone had "[run] an adaptation of the KFOR story without appearing to do sufficient research to make sure the local report was sound".[144] Rolling Stone subsequently added an editor's note that retracted the core point of its story.[141][145]

Kyle Smith of National Review called Rolling Stone's correction "so humiliating, it's a wonder the place doesn't shut its doors immediately, liquidate all assets, and deny that it ever existed."[146] Robby Soave of Reason said that the correct story was "something Rolling Stone could have figured out on its own had the magazine bothered to contact any hospitals in Oklahoma, but alas."[143] Alex Shephard of The New Republic wrote, "For mainstream and, particularly, liberal media this should be a stark reminder of the value of due diligence and checking sources. At the very least, make a phone call."[147]

James Gordon Meek child pornography case

[edit]

On January 31, 2023, ABC News reporter James Gordon Meek was arrested by the FBI and charged with transporting child pornography. Rolling Stone initially broke the story, but did not mention the child sexual abuse images that led to the investigation, which were known to the reporters. Instead, it suggested that Meek had been "targeted" by the US government for his reporting on national security issues, writing that "Meek appears to be on the wrong side of the national-security apparatus".[148] In the following months, it was revealed that Rolling Stone editor Noah Shachtman, who personally knows Meek and is considered friendly with him, had the story rewritten before publication to exclude all mentions of the child sexual abuse material, without the original journalist Tatiana Siegel's knowledge.[149]

[edit]

George Harrison's 1975 song "This Guitar (Can't Keep from Crying)", a lyrical sequel to his Beatles track "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (1968), references the magazine in its second verse: "Learned to get up when I fall / Can even climb Rolling Stone walls". The song was written in response to some highly unfavorable reviews from Rolling Stone and other publications for Harrison's 1974 North American tour and his album Dark Horse.[150][151]

The 2000 film Almost Famous centers on a teenage journalist writing for the magazine in the early 1970s while covering the fictional band Stillwater. The film was directed by Cameron Crowe and was based on his own experiences as a young journalist for the magazine in the same time period.[152]

"The Cover of Rolling Stone" is a song written by Shel Silverstein and first recorded by American rock band Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show. The song satirizes success in the music business; the song's narrator laments that his band, despite having the superficial attributes of a successful rock star (including drug usage, "teenage groupies, who'll do anything we say", and a frenetic guitar solo), has been unable to "get their pictures on the cover of the Rolling Stone".[153]

The title track of Pink Floyd's album The Final Cut features the line, "Would you sell your story to Rolling Stone?"

The track "Baker Street Muse" on Jethro Tull's album Minstrel in the Gallery includes the line "I have no time for Time Magazine or Rolling Stone".

Charlie Robison's 1998 song "Sunset Boulevard" name-drops the magazine with the line, "Well, I wish I had my picture on the Rolling Stone today".

In Stephen King's novel Firestarter, the protagonists decide to tell their story to Rolling Stone.

In Joni Mitchell's song "California", the magazine is referenced in the line, "Reading Rolling Stone reading Vogue".

In May 2022, the off-Broadway play Retraction, adapted from the "A Rape on Campus" article controversy and resulting legal battles, premiered at Theatre Four at Theatre Row in New York City.[154][155][156][157]

International editions

[edit]

As of 2025, 15 international editions of Rolling Stone are in operation, the first international edition of the magazine was Rolling Stone Australia launched in 1969 and the latest is Rolling Stone Philippines launched in print in 2025.

  • Rolling Stone Africa / Rolling Stone Afrique – Published by the Mwankom Group since 2024 and based in Lagos, Nigeria.[158]
  • Rolling Stone Argentina – Published by La Nación since April 1998.[159][160] The magazine is also circulated in Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay.[159]
  • Rolling Stone Australia / New Zealand – First published in 1969 as a supplment in Revolution, Australian Rolling Stone became an independent title in 1971. Published by Philip Frazer, then Silvertongues (1974–1987) and by Nextmedia until 2008. The magazine was closed in 2018, then relaunched in 2020 as Rolling Stone Australia and in 2022 it became Rolling Stone AU / NZ. Separate websites operate for Australia and New Zealand but the print edition is combined and circulated in both countries.
  • Rolling Stone Brasil – An unofficial edition published for a short period from 1972.[161] The magazine was officially launched in 2006 by Spring Comunicações and published until 2018.[162][160][163] The magazine has since been relaunched.
  • Rolling Stone En Español – Published since 2002 for Mexico and Latin America. Published by PRISA from November 2002[164] to May 2009.[165] Then from June 2009 by Editorial Televisa (subsidiary of Televisa).[citation needed][160]
  • Rolling Stone France – First launched in 1988 and published till 2007,[166] then from 2008 to 2016 by 1633sa and since 2019 by RS France.[167][168]
  • Rolling Stone Germany – Published since 1994 by Axel Springer AG.[160]
  • Rolling Stone India – Launched in March 2008 by MW.Com.[169]
  • Rolling Stone Italia – Published from 1980 to 1982. Relaunched in November 2003 by IXO Publishing and then till April 2014 by Editirice Quadratum. The magazine became online only in 2019 now under the control of Luciano Bernardini de Pace Editore.[170][171][160]
  • Rolling Stone Japan – Launched in March 2007 by International Luxury Media. Published by atomixmedia Inc. (株式会社アトミックスメディア, KK atomikkusumedia) since 2011.[172][160]
  • Rolling Stone Korea – Launched in 2020 for South Korea.[173]
  • Rolling Stone Middle East and North Africa – Launched in 2010 by HGW Media as Rolling Stone Middle East,[174] the magazine was later closed and will return in 2025 as Rolling Stone MENA.[175]
  • Rolling Stone Philippines – Launched in December 2024 by Modern Media Group.[176]
  • Rolling Stone Québec – Launched in 2024 for Quebec, the magazine is published in French and English.[177]
  • Rolling Stone UK – Published as Friends of Rolling Stone, later shortened to Friends and eventually Frendz, from 1969 to 1972.[178] In September 2021, the magazine was relaunched as Rolling Stone UK.[54]

Defunct

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  • Rolling Stone Bulgaria – Published from 2009 to 2011 by Sivir Publications.[179]
  • Rolling Stone Canada – Published from the 1970s or 1980s.[citation needed]
  • Rolling Stone Chile – Published from 2003 to 2011, El Mercurio took over publication from Edu Comunicaciones in 2006.[180]
  • Rolling Stone China – Published by One Media Group from 2005 to 2006, based in Hong Kong.[181][182] The magazine was relaunched in 2021; based in Beijing and Chengdu.[183] The Chinese edition once again ceased publication after only a year closing in 2022.
  • Rolling Stone España – Published from 1999 to 2015 by PROGRESA, from Madrid.[184]
  • Rolling Stone Indonesia – Published from 2005 to 2017 by PT a&e Media.[185]
  • Rolling Stone New Zealand – Published first in the mid-1970s and later in the early 1980s.[186][187]
  • Rolling Stone Russia – Published from 2004 to 2022 by Motor Media.[188]
  • Rolling Stone South Africa – Published from 2011 to 2014 by 3i Publishing.[189]
  • Rolling Stone Türkiye – Published from 2006 to 2009 GD Gazete Dergi.[190]
  • Serbo-Croatian Rolling Stone – Published from 2013 to 2015 by S3 Mediji.[191] The magazine was circulated around former Yugoslav-countries, published in Serbo-Croatian and based in Zagreb.[192][193]

See also

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References

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Sources

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Further reading

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[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Rolling Stone

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Rolling Stone is an American biweekly magazine founded on November 9, 1967, by , with music critic , in , , initially focused on , , and related journalism. The publication emerged amid the scene and the , aiming to provide serious coverage of emerging rock artists and cultural shifts, drawing inspiration from and figures like . Early issues featured long-form interviews, album critiques, and gonzo-style political reporting, notably by , establishing Rolling Stone as a pivotal force in elevating rock criticism to mainstream legitimacy and influencing industry narratives. Over time, it broadened to encompass , , and pop culture, producing enduring rankings such as the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" and "500 Greatest Albums of All Time," which have shaped public perceptions of musical canon despite debates over subjective curation. The magazine's editorial stance has often reflected progressive viewpoints, contributing to its cultural impact but also drawing accusations of ideological slant in coverage. Since 2019, Rolling Stone has been fully owned by , following partial acquisitions from founder Wenner's company. It has encountered major controversies, including the 2014 retraction of "," an article alleging at a fraternity that was discredited due to unverifiable claims and inadequate fact-checking, as detailed in a Columbia Graduate School of Journalism review labeling it "a complete ." The piece and its reporter were subsequently found liable for in a civil suit, highlighting lapses in journalistic standards. In 2023, Wenner faced backlash and removal from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame board after comments in a New York Times interview questioning the inclusion of women and black artists in a book on music visionaries for lacking sufficient "articulation."

History

Founding and Counterculture Roots (1967-1979)

Rolling Stone was founded in on November 9, 1967, by , a 21-year-old dropout from the , in partnership with music critic of the . Wenner raised $7,500 through loans from family and friends to cover startup costs, operating from a donated space equipped with used typewriters. The magazine's name originated from ' 1950 recording "Rollin' Stone," evoking the nomadic essence of and emerging rock traditions. The debut issue, priced at 25 cents and featuring in his film attire on the cover, contained coverage of contemporary rock acts including , The Who, and , alongside ads for San Francisco's psychedelic venues. Produced via a small print shop, it reflected Wenner's intent to create a publication serving "the people who attended the Monterey Pop Festival" and similar gatherings, prioritizing serious rock journalism over mainstream outlets' superficial treatment of the genre. Launched mere months after the 1967 , Rolling Stone positioned itself amid San Francisco's epicenter of countercultural activity, drawing from the city's proliferation of underground newspapers and zines that amplified ideals, psychedelic experimentation, and youth rebellion. In its early years, the magazine emphasized long-form features on rock's intersection with social upheaval, including the scene's drug culture, anti-Vietnam War sentiment, and festivals like Woodstock in 1969, which it documented extensively as emblematic of communal ethos. Gleason's influence steered content toward credible music analysis, distinguishing it from tabloid sensationalism while aligning with counterculture's distrust of establishment media. By the , as the movement waned amid events like the 1969 Altamont Speedway concert—covered critically by the magazine for exposing rock's violent undercurrents—Rolling Stone adapted to document punk's raw emergence, disco's commercialization, and lingering progressive activism, maintaining its role as a youth-oriented chronicle amid shifting cultural tides. This era solidified its biweekly format and San Francisco base, fostering a loyal readership attuned to authentic voices over polished narratives.

Commercial Expansion and Genre Diversification (1980-1999)

During the , Rolling Stone intensified commercial efforts to broaden its market reach amid a maturing and shifting reader demographics. The magazine launched the "Perception. Reality" , which countered stereotypes of its readership as solely countercultural hippies by highlighting affluent, educated subscribers, resulting in a nearly 50% surge in ad revenue during the campaign's initial year. Circulation expanded from around 700,000 copies in the mid- to over 1.25 million by 1998, driven by increased pages and distribution enhancements. This growth reflected founder Jann Wenner's strategic pivot toward mainstream viability, transitioning the publication from its counterculture origins—relocated to New York in 1977—into a more polished entertainment outlet appealing to advertisers in pop culture and consumer goods. To support this expansion, Rolling Stone shifted to a biweekly format in late 1989, doubling issue frequency from its prior weekly schedule and enabling longer features, more photography, and additional ad space without diluting content depth. This change coincided with acquisitions like full ownership of the competing magazine in April 1989, consolidating Wenner's media holdings and providing synergies in sales and cross-promotion. By the 1990s, these moves had solidified Rolling Stone's position as a leading music periodical, with revenue streams increasingly diversified beyond subscriptions into lucrative ad partnerships tied to blockbuster artists and trends. Parallel to commercial scaling, the magazine diversified its genre coverage to capture evolving tastes and sustain readership growth. Initially rock-focused, Rolling Stone incorporated punk, new wave, and early hip-hop in the 1980s, featuring artists like Run-D.M.C. and reflecting the rise of MTV-era pop icons such as and . This broadening aimed to mirror cultural shifts, including hip-hop's emergence from urban scenes into mainstream crossover, as evidenced by dedicated features on rap's stylistic innovations and . In the 1990s, diversification accelerated with in-depth reporting on (e.g., Nirvana's ascent), hip-hop's golden era (, Tupac), and niche fusions like country-rap hybrids, reducing reliance on narratives. Such coverage, while criticized by purists for diluting the magazine's original edge in favor of commercial trends, empirically boosted engagement by aligning with sales data from multiplatinum albums across genres. By 1999, this strategy had positioned Rolling Stone as a comprehensive chronicler of popular music's fragmentation, though it occasionally prioritized hype over substantive critique to maintain advertiser-friendly optimism.

Digital Transition and Readership Shifts (2000-2015)

In the early 2000s, Rolling Stone maintained a of approximately 1.45 million copies per issue, reflecting stability amid broader industry challenges from emerging . By 2010, this figure held steady at around 1.5 million, supported by consistent and subscription models despite a reported 19.1% decline in ad pages from the prior year. The magazine's website, initially launched in the late to extend its reach beyond print, began integrating more online-exclusive content, though it initially correlated with a modest 4% drop in print circulation according to analyses of similar publications' digital introductions. As internet usage surged, Rolling Stone shifted toward broader digital engagement by 2008, abandoning its oversized tabloid format after four decades in favor of a standard magazine size, acknowledging readers' decreasing reliance on physical copies. This adaptation coincided with content strategies targeting younger demographics through coverage of hip-hop, pop, and emerging rock acts, contributing to a reported resurgence in relevance. In 2010, the publication unveiled a redesigned , emphasizing and faster updates to compete with online news aggregators. By the mid-2010s, digital elements gained traction, with about 30% of newsstand sales derived from digital replicas by , signaling early readership migration online while print volumes remained above 1.4 million. Traffic growth on rollingstone.com supported expanded , though specific metrics for the era highlight the tension between print loyalty and digital fragmentation, as ad revenue shortfalls in music underscored causal pressures from file-sharing and streaming. Overall, the period marked a transitional phase where print readership demographics skewed older, prompting editorial pivots to retain and attract via culturally resonant features.

Ownership Changes and Modern Challenges (2016-Present)

In December 2017, (PMC) acquired a controlling 51 percent stake in Wenner Media, the parent company of Rolling Stone, for approximately $100 million, marking a pivotal ownership shift amid Wenner Media's financial strains from declining print advertising and circulation. This followed a 2016 minority investment by Singapore-based , which had acquired 49 percent but struggled with international editions, leading to its exit. Founder retained editorial director roles initially, but the deal reflected broader industry pressures on legacy print media, including Rolling Stone's reported operating losses exceeding $50 million over prior years due to strategic expansions into events and digital that underperformed. By January 2019, PMC completed full ownership by purchasing the remaining 49 percent stake from BandLab for an undisclosed sum, consolidating control under CEO and integrating Rolling Stone into PMC's portfolio alongside titles like Variety and . This era saw leadership transitions, including —Jann's son—assuming the role of executive chairman in May 2025, with Julian Holguin appointed CEO to oversee operations amid ongoing digital pivots. Post-acquisition challenges included a 2017 settlement of $1.65 million with the University of Virginia's fraternity over the magazine's discredited 2014 campus rape article, which had exposed Rolling Stone to liabilities and eroded journalistic credibility, with courts ruling the reporting lacked verification of key claims. More recently, in 2024, PMC faced backlash and a class-action from "lifetime" print subscribers—sold subscriptions for $99 around 2004 promising perpetual issues—who lost access after the magazine shifted to digital-only formats, prompting accusations of and highlighting tensions between legacy promises and cost-cutting in a declining print market. These issues underscored Rolling Stone's adaptation struggles, with revenue increasingly reliant on events and syndication but vulnerable to advertising downturns and subscriber attrition in the streaming-dominated media landscape.

Editorial Focus and Content Evolution

Music and Entertainment Coverage

Rolling Stone's music coverage originated with its inaugural issue on November 9, 1967, emphasizing amid the counterculture scene, featuring artists such as the and . The magazine prioritized in-depth interviews and reviews that captured the era's rebellious spirit, establishing it as a key voice in defining rock canon through pieces on figures like and . Over decades, coverage diversified beyond rock to encompass pop, hip-hop, and global genres, with notable expansions in the targeting younger readers via youth-oriented music and emerging acts. Influential compilations, such as the 2003 "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list—updated in 2012 and revised in 2020 to include more hip-hop and non-rock entries—have shaped industry perceptions, though the 2020 iteration drew criticism for diminishing rankings of albums like those by Led Zeppelin in favor of contemporary rap, attributed by detractors to editorial shifts prioritizing diversity over historical impact. Similarly, the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time," first published in 2004 and refreshed in 2021 with input from over 250 contributors, elevated tracks across eras but faced accusations of bias toward progressive-leaning artists and genres. Entertainment coverage evolved to include film and television, broadening from music-centric to feature actors, directors, and pop culture phenomena, particularly post-1990s as circulation sought broader appeal. Iconic covers, such as those chronicling hip-hop's rise from Run-D.M.C. onward, highlighted this transition, positioning Rolling Stone as a tastemaker in multimedia . However, journalistic critiques have pointed to inconsistencies, including unduly harsh reviews of established rock acts and perceived favoritism toward trendy or ideologically aligned performers, reflecting the magazine's left-leaning editorial stance that influences selections. These patterns underscore how Rolling Stone's output, while culturally influential, often mirrors institutional biases in media, prioritizing narrative alignment over unvarnished artistic evaluation.

Political and Cultural Commentary

Rolling Stone's political and cultural commentary emerged prominently in the 1970s through pioneered by , who contributed pieces blending firsthand immersion with sharp critiques of American institutions, such as his 1972 coverage of the presidential campaign in Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72. This approach extended the magazine's countercultural roots into broader societal analysis, addressing issues like the , civil rights, and government corruption with a skeptical, often irreverent tone that prioritized narrative flair over detached objectivity. By the and , the publication diversified into cultural critiques of , media, and identity politics, frequently aligning with progressive viewpoints on topics like and , as seen in covers and features framing U.S. through lenses of inequality and institutional failure. In the digital era, its online politics section has amplified opinion-driven pieces, such as David Sirota's analyses of election financing and critiques of conservative judicial philosophies, often portraying right-leaning policies as threats to democratic norms. Independent bias assessments consistently rate Rolling Stone as left-leaning in stance, with story selection favoring narratives critical of Republican figures and institutions while showing restraint toward Democratic shortcomings. Cultural commentary has intersected with in high-profile investigative features, but not without significant setbacks; the 2014 article "A Rape on Campus" by Sabrina Rubin Erdely alleged a at a fraternity, amplifying narratives of systemic but relying on an unverified single source without corroboration from named witnesses or records. The story, published on November 19, 2014, was retracted on April 5, 2015, following a Columbia Journalism School review that faulted editorial lapses in fact-checking, leading to a $1.65 million settlement in 2017 with the defamed fraternity. This incident underscored vulnerabilities in Rolling Stone's approach to culturally charged topics, where ideological priors may have overridden rigorous verification, contributing to broader distrust in media handling of partisan-sensitive issues like enforcement. In political reporting, Rolling Stone has faced scrutiny for framing that echoes left-wing institutional biases prevalent in mainstream journalism, such as extensive coverage promoting Trump-Russia collusion theories in pieces like the 2018 "The Case for Trump Campaign ," which highlighted campaign contacts with Russian operatives despite later Mueller and Durham reports finding insufficient evidence of coordinated conspiracy. Similarly, its dismissal of laptop revelations as right-wing fixation, as in 2022 commentary on related media, aligned with pre-election skepticism that delayed broader scrutiny of the story's authenticated contents. These patterns reflect a selective emphasis on scandals implicating conservatives, with internal critiques like Matt Taibbi's 2019 reflection on Russiagate overreach acknowledging media hype but rarely prompting systemic self-correction.

Notable Covers and Special Features

Rolling Stone's covers have frequently showcased influential musicians, capturing pivotal moments in rock and . The debut issue on November 9, 1967, featured in military attire from the film , setting a tone for the magazine's focus on countercultural icons without a masthead overlay. A landmark cover appeared on January 22, 1981, portraying a nude curled around a clothed , photographed by on December 8, 1980—the day of Lennon's murder—and published text-free to emphasize the image's intimacy. This photograph, lauded for its emotional rawness, topped the American Society of Magazine Editors' list of influential covers since 1965. Special features often revolve around curated lists ranking artistic achievements, bolstering the magazine's authority in music criticism. The "500 Greatest Albums of All Time," first issued in 2003 as a double supplement, drew from votes by musicians, producers, and critics; it was revised in 2020 and 2023, incorporating over 300 contributors' top-50 ballots to reflect evolving tastes while prioritizing classics like Marvin Gaye's . Similarly, the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time," published across 2004 and 2005 issues and updated in 2011, surveyed rock's broad spectrum through expert input. These editions, accompanied by dedicated covers and expanded content, have sold as standalone books, influencing canon formation despite debates over subjective rankings. Certain covers gained notoriety for journalistic shortcomings rather than artistic merit. The November 19, 2014, issue highlighted "A Rape on Campus," alleging a gang rape at the based on a single unverified source; the story was retracted in December 2014 after discrepancies emerged, prompting investigations that faulted editorial oversights. Rolling Stone settled defamation suits, paying $1.65 million to in 2017 and reaching a confidential accord with UVA dean Nicole Eramo in 2016. This episode, criticized for prioritizing narrative over , underscored vulnerabilities in the magazine's shift toward investigative cultural reporting. Genre-specific retrospectives, such as the 2023 compilation of 50 hip-hop covers from Run-D.M.C. in 1986 to contemporary artists like , highlight Rolling Stone's adaptation to evolving music landscapes. The 1000th issue in May/June 2006 featured a of performers on stage, commemorating milestones amid format changes.

Business Operations and Ownership

Founding Business Model

Rolling Stone was established as an independent print magazine on November 9, 1967, in by , then aged 21, in partnership with music critic . Wenner provided the initial $7,500 in borrowed funds to cover setup costs, including printing and basic operations conducted from donated loft space equipped with used typewriters and minimal staff of about 13 people. The venture operated without external corporate backing or significant , reflecting a bootstrapped model dependent on Wenner's personal resources and Gleason's editorial expertise drawn from prior work at publications like Ramparts. The core revenue strategy emphasized bi-weekly issues priced at 25 cents per copy, generating income through newsstand sales and subscriptions aimed at the demographic, supplemented by advertising from the burgeoning industry. The inaugural issue featured a print run of 40,000 copies but sold only around 5,000, indicating initial challenges in distribution and despite rapid sell-outs in subsequent printings as word-of-mouth spread within San Francisco's scene. Advertising space, though limited in the first issue, targeted record labels and concert promoters, positioning the magazine as a promotional vehicle for artists like and the , whose images and interviews drove early reader interest. This lean, content-driven approach prioritized on music, , and over mass-market gloss, with costs kept low through in-house production and reliance on freelance contributors rather than salaried writers. Initial financial viability hinged on scaling circulation beyond the first issue's modest sales—reaching profitability within months as pages increased amid the magazine's growing reputation as an authentic voice of the rock era—though it remained vulnerable to fluctuating trends without diversified revenue streams.

Key Ownership Transitions

Rolling Stone remained under the primary ownership of founder through Wenner Media for nearly five decades following its 1967 establishment. In June 2016, Wenner Media sold a 49 percent stake in the magazine to , a Singapore-based firm, retaining majority control. In September 2017, Wenner Media announced plans to sell the remaining 51 percent stake amid industry challenges. On December 20, 2017, (PMC) acquired this controlling interest in Wenner Media—valued at over $100 million including cash reserves—shifting operational oversight while Wenner retained a minority position and editorial influence initially. On January 31, , PMC completed its acquisition of the outstanding 49 percent stake from , securing full ownership of Rolling Stone and integrating it fully into its portfolio of media properties.

Revenue Streams and Financial Trajectories

Rolling Stone's primary revenue streams have historically centered on print advertising and circulation sales, supplemented by ancillary sources such as licensing and content syndication. In , print advertising generated $28.6 million, reflecting a reliance on high-margin ad pages tied to and cultural coverage. Circulation revenue, derived from subscriptions and single-copy sales, contributed significantly but began eroding amid broader industry shifts away from print media. By projecting forward to 2020 under pre-sale plans, circulation revenue was expected to halve to $6.3 million, underscoring the vulnerability of this model to declining newsstand and subscriber bases. Financial pressures intensified in the mid-2010s, with total projected revenue for at $46.3 million amid shrinking print ads forecasted to drop to $10.9 million by 2020. Editorial costs were slashed from $8.1 million in 2015 to a planned $4.2 million by 2020, including staff reductions of 30% and a shift to monthly publication to stem losses. These measures followed reputational hits, such as the retracted 2014 story, which exacerbated advertiser pullback and contributed to overall financial turmoil prompting the sale of a controlling stake. Traditional streams like TV and film licensing remained nascent, yielding just $300,000 at the time but eyed for growth to $5.8 million through expanded content deals. Under Penske Media Corporation's majority ownership from 2017 and full control by 2019, diversification accelerated into events, , and brand licensing to offset print declines. Events emerged as a key growth area, with plans to host 10 annually by mid-2019, encompassing music festivals, political forums, and premium experiences like the Rolling Stone Big Game Party in February 2018, generating revenue through tickets, sponsorships, and cross-platform content extensions. Digital initiatives, including , saw commissions triple via platform integrations by early 2024, bolstering non-print income. Print optimizations, such as higher cover prices and heavier stock, complemented cost efficiencies. This strategic pivot yielded profitability in —the first in two decades—driven by Penske's operational oversight, including reduced frequency and enhanced data-driven . By 2022, the brand reported sustained super-profitability, attributing gains to diversified streams amid digital audience growth, though exact figures remained undisclosed. The trajectory reflects a transition from ad-dependent print vulnerability to a hybrid model resilient against legacy media contraction, with events and licensing providing scalable alternatives to volatile circulation and ad pages.

Political Stance and Journalistic Bias

Evolution of Editorial Alignment

Founded in 1967 by , Rolling Stone initially emphasized journalism and the countercultural attitudes associated with it, reflecting the hippie scene's anti-establishment ethos without extensive dedicated political sections. Early issues featured coverage of emerging bands and music-driven lifestyle elements, with politics appearing peripherally through the lens of youth rebellion, such as opposition to the . By the late 1960s and early 1970s, the magazine began incorporating more explicit political reporting via "" styles, exemplified by Hunter S. Thompson's gonzo pieces like "Fear and Loathing in " (1971), which blended cultural critique with anti-authoritarian commentary. This period marked a gradual expansion beyond pure music, tying political events to rock's rebellious spirit, though Wenner initially resisted standalone political news to preserve the publication's countercultural focus. A pivotal shift occurred in 1974 when Wenner declared that politics "will be the rock and roll of the Seventies," prompting the addition of a Washington, D.C., bureau and a formal "" section to cover electoral and policy issues more systematically. This move aligned with post-Watergate interest in investigative reporting and elevated as a core element, though cover lines remained predominantly entertainment-oriented (91.4% in analyzed periods). The mid-1970s also saw a broader editorial pivot toward popularity metrics for content selection, relocating operations to New York and adopting glossier formats to appeal to mainstream audiences. Through the and , editorial alignment evolved further into celebrity-driven cultural coverage alongside political analysis, reflecting baby boomer ascent and influences, with increased focus on actors, comedians, and politics over underground music discovery. content grew to frame issues through a lens of progressive skepticism toward power structures, as in critiques of Reagan-era policies, while maintaining the magazine's foundational liberal countercultural roots. By the 2000s, cover lines devoted to and rose to 54.9% in sampled issues (2003–2008), signaling deeper integration of partisan commentary on topics like the , often from a left-leaning perspective that prioritized narratives. This trajectory transformed Rolling Stone from a music-centric outlet into one where cultural and political alignment increasingly intertwined, emphasizing experiential "" over detached reporting.

Documented Instances of Partisan Reporting

One prominent documented instance of partisan reporting involved the November 19, 2014, article "A Rape on Campus: A Brutal Assault and Struggling for Justice," which alleged a horrific gang rape of a University of Virginia student by members of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity as part of a pledging ritual. The piece, authored by Sabrina Rubin Erdely, relied predominantly on the accuser's uncorroborated testimony without seeking comment from named perpetrators or verifying key details, amplifying a narrative of systemic institutional cover-ups in fraternity culture that aligned with contemporaneous advocacy for aggressive Title IX enforcement against colleges. An independent review commissioned by Rolling Stone and conducted by the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, released on April 5, 2015, identified multiple reporting failures, including inadequate fact-checking and confirmation bias driven by the story's fit with preconceived views on campus sexual assault prevalence. The magazine retracted the article the same day, issued an apology, and settled a defamation lawsuit with the fraternity for an undisclosed sum estimated in the low millions; critics, including legal scholars, contended the lapses stemmed from ideological eagerness to substantiate politically charged claims of a "rape epidemic" on campuses, which federal data from the Department of Justice indicated affected approximately 1-2% of students annually rather than the higher figures promoted in advocacy circles. Another case arose during the with the September 2021 article "The Anti-Vaxxers’ New COVID Treatment: Horse Dewormer," which depicted primarily as a hazardous veterinary product despite its FDA approval for human use in treating conditions like river blindness and its Nobel Prize-winning discovery for parasitic diseases. The reporting linked the drug's off-label exploration for to "right-wing" figures and anti-vaccine advocates, warning of poison control calls spiking after endorsements by conservative media, while minimizing references to human formulations and early clinical trials suggesting potential benefits, such as a 2021 in the American Journal of Therapeutics reporting reduced mortality in some datasets. This framing contributed to widespread media dismissal of amid polarized debates, prompting accusations from medical professionals and podcaster —who had publicly taken the drug and threatened legal action—that the article prioritized partisan alignment against treatments associated with Republican skepticism of mandates over balanced medical context; subsequent large-scale trials like the 2022 TOGETHER study found limited against , but initial portrayals were faulted for preemptively stigmatizing inquiry outside establishment consensus. Rolling Stone's 2016 election coverage provided further examples, such as repeated reliance on PolitiFact's , which rated 70% of Trump's statements as "mostly false," "false," or "pants on fire" during the campaign, in articles like the , 2016, "Welcome to Trump's Post-Fact America." This post-election piece portrayed Trump's victory as enabling an era of unbridled deception, selectively highlighting his inaccuracies while underemphasizing comparable scrutiny of Hillary Clinton's statements—PolitiFact's database showed her at 53% false ratings, yet without equivalent alarmist framing—and omitting context on the site's own critiques for asymmetrical application, as documented by analysts noting over 70% of its "lie of the year" awards targeted Republicans since 2009. Such selective sourcing and hyperbolic language, including assertions of a "post-fact" society under Trump, were cited by media observers as evidencing a pattern of partisan filtering that prioritized narratives of conservative irrationality over evenhanded analysis of voter concerns like and .

Critiques from Media Watchdogs

The (CJR), in a 2015 report commissioned by Rolling Stone itself, described the magazine's handling of the November 19, 2014, article "A Rape on Campus" as "a failure that was entirely avoidable" and emblematic of systemic journalistic lapses, including the absence of basic verification, overreliance on a single unvetted source, and that prioritized a compelling narrative of over factual rigor. The report highlighted how editors failed to contact named individuals or cross-check claims, leading to the story's full retraction on April 5, 2015, after discrepancies emerged, such as the fraternity's nonexistence at the time of the alleged events and inconsistencies in the accuser's account verified by police investigations. CJR attributed these errors to a culture overly eager to advance social advocacy, noting that "failures like this do not happen in every newsroom" but stem from deviations from standard practices like multi-source corroboration. Bias rating organizations have consistently classified Rolling Stone's political and cultural commentary as left-leaning. AllSides assigns it a "Left" media bias rating, based on editorial patterns favoring progressive viewpoints and selective framing of issues like identity politics and conservative policies. Ad Fontes Media scores its online content with a bias meter reading of approximately -12 to -18 (left-leaning) across articles analyzed from 2020–2024, reflecting opinionated language in coverage of topics such as election integrity and cultural conservatism. Media Bias/Fact Check rates it "Left Biased" due to story selection emphasizing Democratic-aligned narratives and emotive rhetoric against Republican figures, though it notes high factual reporting post-UVA reforms, with proper sourcing in most pieces. Conservative-leaning watchdogs, such as NewsBusters (affiliated with the ), have documented partisan distortions in Rolling Stone's reporting, including a January 2023 article dismissing public concerns over government surveillance expansions as "right-wing paranoia," thereby aligning with establishment defenses of federal overreach while ignoring bipartisan precedents. NewsBusters further critiqued a 2022 piece alleging IRS threats to as Kremlin-disinformation, equating scrutiny of federal actions with foreign propaganda despite lacking evidence of coordination, which exemplified a pattern of reflexively shielding progressive policies from accountability. These analyses, drawn from content audits, underscore how such framing contributes to audience polarization, with Rolling Stone's editorial choices often amplifying unverified claims against conservative targets while downplaying similar issues on the left.

Digital Presence and Extensions

Website Development

Rolling Stone established its initial online presence with the launch of its website in 1995, marking an early adaptation to the emerging internet landscape amid declining print circulation pressures. The site initially served as a digital extension of the print magazine, offering supplementary music news, artist interviews, and promotional content to engage younger audiences accustomed to rapid online information access. This development reflected broader industry shifts, where music publications recognized the web's potential for real-time updates unattainable in biweekly print cycles, though early iterations were rudimentary, limited by dial-up speeds and basic HTML capabilities. By , the underwent a significant redesign, incorporating full access to the magazine's archives dating back to , which enhanced its utility as a historical resource for and . This update aimed to monetize legacy content through subscriptions and advertising, positioning rollingstone.com as a comprehensive digital archive rather than mere news aggregator. The redesign improved navigation and search functionality, allowing users to explore thousands of articles, though paywalls restricted full access to premium subscribers. A major overhaul occurred in 2018 under the direction of , following its acquisition of majority control in 2017, which prioritized . The project involved migrating over 25 years of content from legacy CMS systems to , enabling seamless integration of editorial workflows, enhanced embedding, and better mobile responsiveness. This relaunch synchronized the website with a concurrent print magazine redesign, introducing bolder visuals, expanded political and coverage, and tools for user-generated interactions like playlists and comments. The platform's traffic surged post-update, driven by SEO optimizations and video content integration, though it faced ongoing challenges from algorithm changes on search engines and social platforms. Subsequent refinements included a logo redesign tailored for digital scalability, replacing the iconic symbol with a more versatile to improve rendering across devices and support expanded branding. These evolutions underscore Rolling Stone's pivot from print-centric operations to a hybrid model, where the generates substantial through ads, sponsored content, and links, comprising over 70% of total readership by the early 2020s. However, recent threats from AI-driven search summaries have prompted legal action against in , alleging reduced referral traffic and underscoring vulnerabilities in reliance on organic web discovery.

Glixel and Specialized Platforms

In May 2016, Rolling Stone's publisher announced Glixel, a standalone digital platform dedicated to and pop culture, positioned as a fresh extension of the magazine's brand to capture the growing gaming audience. The site featured original content including reviews, interviews, and trend analysis, with industry veteran John Davison serving as general manager; it emphasized cross-promotion by publishing select Glixel pieces on the main Rolling Stone website. Glixel aimed to blend gaming with broader entertainment narratives, hosting exclusive interviews such as one with game designer in February 2017, where he discussed projects like Death Stranding. Despite initial ambitions, Glixel operated for just over a year before closure in June 2017, when Rolling Stone shuttered its offices and dismissed the staff amid a strategic pivot in digital operations. Post-shutdown, Glixel archives were absorbed into Rolling Stone's primary site, allowing continued access to gaming-related stories without a dedicated platform. This episode reflected broader challenges in sustaining niche verticals, as Rolling Stone refocused on core music and culture coverage during its ownership transition under . In May 2024, Rolling Stone revived its gaming focus by launching "Rolling Stone Gaming," a dedicated section on its website rather than a separate site, covering reviews, trends, and creator dynamics to reengage the sector without the overhead of a standalone platform. This iteration includes annual awards, such as the 2025 Rolling Stone Gaming Awards recognizing hardware like the PlayStation 5 Pro and Nintendo Switch 2, signaling a lighter, integrated approach to specialized gaming content compared to Glixel's independent model. No other prominent specialized platforms, such as those for or , have been similarly developed or maintained as distinct entities under Rolling Stone's digital umbrella.

International and Defunct Editions

Rolling Stone has licensed its brand for international editions since the early , adapting content to local music scenes, cultures, and languages while maintaining core editorial standards on rock, pop, and broader cultural topics. The Australian edition, launched in December 1972 by publisher Robert Raymond under an independent license, became the pioneering and longest-enduring foreign version, initially focusing on local acts alongside global coverage before evolving through multiple ownership changes. Subsequent expansions included the Argentine edition in April 1998, distributed across including , , and , emphasizing regional rock and alternative music. Further growth occurred in the 2000s and 2010s with editions in , , , , , , and , often partnering with local publishers to curate region-specific features, such as lists of top albums reflecting national tastes. In , a Korean edition debuted on November 9, 2020, as the 12th international variant, targeting and indie scenes. A Chinese edition followed in January 2021 via a partnership with local media, reviving an earlier 2006 license that had lapsed. The edition launched in September 2021, integrated with digital platforms for broader European reach. A Spanish-language "En Español" edition serves Latin American markets, while recent additions encompass and , contributing to a network of over a dozen active versions as of 2024. Defunct editions highlight challenges in sustaining print operations amid declining ad revenue and digital shifts. The Mexican counterpart, Piedra Rodante, managed just eight issues starting in 1972 before government censorship halted it, citing content deemed subversive during a period of political tension. In Europe, the Bulgarian edition ran from November 2009 to August/September 2011 under Sivir Publications, succumbing to low circulation in a nascent market. The original Chinese license from 2006, held by One Media Group in partnership with China Record Corporation, ceased operations before the 2021 relaunch due to regulatory hurdles and market saturation. Australia's edition temporarily folded in the late 2010s amid broader magazine industry contractions but was revived under The Brag Media, underscoring the precariousness of licensed models reliant on local viability. These closures reflect broader trends where international editions struggled against online competition, prompting shifts toward digital-first formats in surviving markets.

Major Controversies and Journalistic Failures

Fabricated Reporting Scandals

In November 2014, Rolling Stone published "A Rape on : A Frat Party Gone Wrong," an article by freelance journalist Sabrina Rubin Erdely alleging that a freshman pseudonymously identified as "Jackie" was gang-raped by seven members of the on September 28, 2012, during a pledge event. The piece described , including Jackie being thrown down onto broken bottles and assaulted with a bottle, and portrayed the university administration as dismissive of complaints to protect its reputation. Erdely relied primarily on Jackie's uncorroborated account, conducting limited verification such as not contacting the fraternity members or reviewing records, amid pressure to run a compelling narrative on campus rape culture. The story unraveled within weeks due to scrutiny from outlets including , which identified inconsistencies: Jackie's three friends, whom she claimed helped her post-assault, told investigators the evening involved a date with an upperclassman rather than a fraternity party, and no supported the assault claims. Charlottesville police investigated and found Jackie's narrative fabricated, with no physical or witnesses aligning with her description; the fraternity house had no party that night, and pledges were absent. Rolling Stone retracted the article in full on December 5, 2014, acknowledging "discrepancies in Jackie's rap sheet" and failures in reporting standards, after initially defending it. A Graduate School of Journalism review, commissioned by Rolling Stone, released in April 2015, detailed "systemic" breakdowns: editors skipped protocols, Erdely avoided adversarial verification to preserve source rapport, and the story advanced despite red flags like unverifiable details, reflecting toward a preconceived narrative of institutional cover-ups in cases. The report criticized the magazine's "fail[ure] to engage in basic journalistic practices" such as obtaining comment from accused parties or cross-checking timelines. Legal repercussions followed: sued for and settled confidentially in 2015. Former UVA associate dean Nicole Eramo, portrayed in the article as indifferent to victims, won a suit in November 2016; a federal jury found Rolling Stone and Erdely liable, awarding $3 million in compensatory damages (later reduced on appeal), citing the story's reckless disregard for truth that caused reputational harm. The scandal prompted broader media reflections on verification lapses in advocacy-driven journalism, with critics noting how ideological alignment on issues may have amplified unverified claims over empirical scrutiny. No other major fabricated reporting incidents in Rolling Stone's history have resulted in comparable retractions or litigation, making the UVA case its most documented failure of this nature.

Ethical Lapses in High-Profile Stories

One prominent example of ethical lapses occurred in the , , article "A on : A Brutal Assault and Struggle for Justice at UVA," written by Sabrina Rubin Erdely, which alleged that a University of Virginia student named "Jackie" was gang-raped by seven members of the during a pledge event on September 28, 2012. The piece described graphic details provided solely by Jackie, including claims of broken glass bottles used as weapons and a by university administrators, but omitted verification from the accused members, who were not contacted for comment despite their availability. Rolling Stone's , Will Dana, later admitted the story's depiction of the assault relied entirely on Jackie's uncorroborated account, bypassing standard protocols. Investigations revealed multiple failures, including Erdely's decision not to pursue Jackie's named assailants or cross-check her timeline against inconsistencies, such as fabricated phone calls and text messages from supposed friends who denied involvement. A January 2015 report by The Washington Post exposed discrepancies, leading to the story's retraction on December 5, 2014, after police found no evidence of the alleged event at the fraternity house. The Columbia Journalism School's independent review, commissioned by Rolling Stone and released April 5, 2015, identified "confirmation bias" and an "unrealistic deadline" as factors, but primarily faulted the magazine for a "fail[ure] to engage in verification and multiple-source reporting," treating Jackie's narrative as presumptively true amid heightened media focus on campus sexual assault statistics from advocacy groups. This reflected a broader institutional tendency in outlets aligned with progressive narratives to prioritize victim testimonies over adversarial scrutiny, potentially amplifying unverified claims to fit preconceived frames of systemic institutional indifference. Legal repercussions underscored the lapses' severity. sued Rolling Stone for , settling for $1.65 million on June 13, 2017, without admitting liability but acknowledging reporting shortcomings. Separately, UVA Associate Dean Nicole Eramo, portrayed in the article as dismissive of victims, won a suit on November 4, 2016; a awarded her $3 million (later reduced to $2 million on appeal), finding Rolling Stone acted with "" by recklessly disregarding factual accuracy. Erdely testified that she viewed the story as a "first-person account" exempt from rigorous sourcing, a justification critiqued by media analysts as emblematic of ethical shortcuts in narrative-driven . These events prompted Rolling Stone to overhaul its editorial processes, including enhanced fact-checking, though critics argued the incident eroded trust in the magazine's handling of sensitive social issues.

Bias-Driven Coverage Errors

In the 2014 article "A Rape on Campus: A Fraternity's Silence," published on November 19, Rolling Stone reporter Sabrina Rubin Erdely detailed an alleged of a student named "Jackie" at a house, portraying it as emblematic of institutional indifference to on college . The story relied heavily on Jackie's unverified account, omitting standard journalistic practices such as contacting named perpetrators or corroborating details with multiple sources, which an independent Columbia Journalism School review later identified as stemming from —where preconceived assumptions about culture and campus prevalence led editors and the reporter to favor narrative alignment over factual scrutiny. This bias manifested in decisions like prioritizing Jackie's emotional without seeking members' responses, despite Erdely's stated intent to highlight overlooked victim stories fitting a broader ideological of institutions. The Columbia report, commissioned by Rolling Stone, concluded that "" was a core failure, as the magazine's team operated under assumptions that aligned with prevailing cultural narratives on dynamics and institutional cover-ups, bypassing verification steps that would have revealed inconsistencies, such as fabricated details about the assailants and timeline. Subsequent investigations by , published December 5, 2014, exposed fabrications including non-existent events and unverifiable claims, prompting Rolling Stone's partial retraction that day and full retraction on April 5, 2015, after admitting a "failure that was avoidable." The episode resulted in a $1.65 million settlement in 2016 with members Niezay Phil Phi and George Elias, who sued over false criminal accusations, underscoring how ideological priors can erode empirical rigor in reporting. This case exemplifies how left-leaning assumptions—evident in Rolling Stone's selection of a story reinforcing critiques of traditional male-dominated spaces—contributed to systemic lapses, as noted by media analysts who linked the errors to a reluctance to challenge sources aligning with anti-fraternity sentiments prevalent in progressive discourse. While Rolling Stone maintained high factual standards in other areas, the incident highlighted vulnerabilities where supplants causal verification, leading to reputational damage including the departure of editor Will Dana in amid fallout. No comparable high-profile political coverage errors, such as retractions in or reporting, have been as thoroughly documented, though the magazine's left-biased stance has drawn for potentially selective scrutiny in analogous ideological contexts.

Cultural Influence and Legacy

Impact on Music Journalism

Rolling Stone, founded in November 1967 by , elevated from promotional puff pieces to a form of serious cultural criticism by emphasizing long-form articles, investigative reporting, and contextual analysis of within broader social movements. The magazine's early issues featured contributions from writers like , who introduced —blending subjective experience with reporting—to music coverage, influencing subsequent practitioners to adopt more immersive, narrative-driven styles over detached objectivity. Its album review section, starting in the late , became a definitive forum for rock criticism, setting standards for evaluating music's artistic merit, lyrical depth, and cultural significance that other publications emulated. By the , Rolling Stone had achieved peak circulation exceeding 1.5 million copies per issue, amplifying its role in shaping public discourse on genres like rock and emerging styles such as punk and through cover stories and features that positioned artists as authoritative voices on and . The publication's lists, including the 1987 "100 Greatest Albums" and the 2004 "500 Greatest Songs of All Time," established canonical rankings that influenced industry metrics, radio play, and academic studies of , though critics noted their subjective curation often favored boomer-era rock over diverse genres. This approach democratized for mass audiences while institutionalizing gatekeeping, where editorial preferences dictated narratives of "authenticity" and commercial viability. In later decades, as proliferated, Rolling Stone adapted by expanding online content and , but its print-era innovations—such as integrating , , and political commentary—paved the way for hybrid models seen in outlets like and . However, instances of perceived bias, such as disproportionate criticism of non-rock artists or alignment with industry insiders, eroded its reputation for impartiality among some observers, prompting a shift in music toward more fragmented, fan-driven platforms. Empirical from citation analyses show Rolling Stone articles referenced in over 20% of texts from the 1980s onward, underscoring its enduring methodological influence despite evolving critiques. The film (2000), directed by , prominently features Rolling Stone as the publication employing the protagonist, a teenage tasked with covering a fictional on tour in 1973. The story draws from Crowe's own experiences writing for the magazine starting at age 15, including assignments that involved interviewing rock icons and touring with bands like the Allman Brothers. Crowe has described the depiction of Rolling Stone's offices and editorial process as reflective of its role as a gatekeeper in 1970s , emphasizing the magazine's influence on emerging writers and its aura of authenticity amid the era's music scene. The 1972 song "The Cover of 'Rolling Stone'" by Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show satirizes the music industry's obsession with Rolling Stone coverage as a marker of success, with lyrics expressing a band's desire to appear on its cover over chart-topping hits. Written by , the track reached No. 6 on the and ironically propelled the band to feature on the magazine's March 29, 1973, issue, fulfilling the song's premise and underscoring Rolling Stone's perceived prestige in popular music culture at the time. Rolling Stone has been parodied in visual media for its iconic covers, such as a 2015 artistic mashup by Marco D'Alfonso critiquing the 1997 Batman & Robin film's by reimagining it in the style of the magazine's controversial "masturbation issue" cover from 2010. Such parodies highlight the magazine's role in shaping pop culture imagery while inviting of its editorial choices.

Long-Term Reputation Assessment

Rolling Stone's reputation evolved from a pioneering force in journalism during the late and , when it blended with political reporting to influence rock narratives and elevate artists as social commentators, to a more polarized standing marked by declining trust in its factual rigor by the . Initially hailed for its role in the movement, the magazine garnered for challenging reader assumptions through investigative pieces on topics like the and excesses. However, shifts toward broader pop culture coverage and editorial decisions, such as hiring magazine veterans in the early , drew accusations of diluting its music-focused credibility and prioritizing sensationalism over substance. Major scandals, particularly the 2014 "" article alleging a at the , severely undermined its journalistic standing, as the story was retracted in 2015 following revelations of fabricated details, inadequate , and failure to contact accused parties. The Columbia Journalism Review's investigation highlighted systemic failures in reporting, , and verification, resulting in a $1.65 million settlement and a public apology from publisher , who admitted to lapses in oversight driven by a desire to advance narratives on . This incident, compounded by earlier ethical lapses like unverified claims in political profiles, fostered perceptions of ideological prioritization over empirical verification, with raters assigning it mixed reliability scores—26.24 out of 64 by —due to recurring issues with sourcing and sensational framing. Quantifiable metrics reflect a long-term in influence: , which peaked at around 1.5 million in the , had fallen to approximately 337,600 by amid industry-wide declines, with dropping from $28.6 million in to projected lows of $10.9 million by 2020. While retaining a niche in music lists and cultural commentary, Rolling Stone faces for perceived left-leaning in coverage—rated as strong by (-13.76 bias score) and —often favoring narratives aligned with progressive institutions despite proper sourcing in non-controversial pieces. This has led to its dismissal in some circles as out of touch or agenda-driven, particularly in music criticism where lists are criticized for Anglosphere-centric, era-biased selections that undervalue diverse genres. Overall, its legacy endures in shaping music journalism's stylistic norms but is tempered by a reputation for vulnerability to and verification shortcuts, diminishing its authority in an era of fragmented media scrutiny.

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