Rolling Stone cover of bombing suspect called 'slap' to Boston

Outrage is growing across social media over Rolling Stone magazine's decision to put Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the accused Boston Marathon bomber, on the cover of its latest issue.

The picture is one that Tsarnaev himself posted online and has been published widely by other media outlets in the past. But a groundswell of criticism objecting to its prominent play emerged on platforms like Twitter and Facebook.

incase you failed to realize #TheBostonBomber is a muderer not a band & has no place being on the cover of @RollingStone

— Kelly Osbourne (@KellyOsbourne) July 17, 2013

Really @RollingStone ? Wtff!!! pic.twitter.com/kpAPZKt3Oc

— T O M M Y L E E (@MrTommyLand) July 17, 2013

Roland Stone responded to the criticism with this statement:

Our hearts go out to the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing, and our thoughts are always with them and their families. The cover story we are publishing this week falls within the traditions of journalism and Rolling Stone’s long-standing commitment to serious and thoughtful coverage of the most important political and cultural issues of our day. The fact that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is young, and in the same age group as many of our readers, makes it all the more important for us to examine the complexities of this issue and gain a more complete understanding of how a tragedy like this happens. –THE EDITORS

Prominent businesses have responded to the public cry and has announced that they will not sell the August issue:

• CVS
• Tedeschi Food Shops
• Walgreens
• Rite Aid

So was this cover in bad taste? Or has the backlash gone overboard?

OutFront tonight: Erik Wemple is the Washington Post's Media Critic.