Editing Rolling Stone (section)

==Criticism and controversies==
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".<ref name="Popism"/> 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.<ref>July 4, 2004. Idle worship, or revisiting the classics. Jim DeRogatis. ''Chicago Sun-Times''. [http://murmurs.com/talk/showthread.php?t=70805&referrerid=22928 Article discussing intention of book] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714133158/http://murmurs.com/talk/showthread.php?t=70805&referrerid=22928 |date=July 14, 2011 }}</ref>

''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 [[Article (publishing)|cover story]] on the band honored them as "the Heaviest Band of All Time".<ref name="shout">{{cite web|url=http://www.shoutmouth.com/index.php/news/12829 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070630190730/http://www.shoutmouth.com/index.php/news/12829 |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 30, 2007 |title=Documentation of attempt to change reviews |website=Shoutmouth.com |access-date=August 18, 2011 }}</ref> A critic for ''[[Slate (magazine)|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?"<ref name="Popism">{{cite web |last=Rosen |first=Jody |url=http://slate.com/id/2141418/ |title=Does hating rock make you a music critic? |website=Slate |date=May 9, 2006 |access-date=August 18, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110826062339/http://www.slate.com/id/2141418 |archive-date=August 26, 2011 }}</ref>

The hiring of former ''[[FHM]]'' editor Ed Needham in 2002 further enraged critics who alleged that ''Rolling Stone'' had lost its credibility.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://salon.com/ent/feature/2002/06/28/rollingstone/index.html |title=The death of Rolling Stone |work=Salon.com |date=June 28, 2002 |access-date=August 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091220000302/http://salon.com/ent/feature/2002/06/28/rollingstone/index.html |archive-date=December 20, 2009 }}</ref>

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".<ref name="The Greatest Female Guitarists of All Time">{{cite web|url=http://www.venuszine.com/articles/music/2575/The_Greatest_Female_Guitarists_of_All_Time|title=The Greatest Female Guitarists of All Time|last=Thurston|first=Bonnie|date=March 1, 2008|website=Venus Zine|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100917153555/http://www.venuszine.com/articles/music/2575/The_Greatest_Female_Guitarists_of_All_Time|archive-date=September 17, 2010|url-status=dead|access-date=October 15, 2010}}</ref>

''Rolling Stone'' film critic [[Peter Travers]] has been criticized for his high number of repetitively used [[blurb]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.efilmcritic.com/feature.php?feature=2638&highlight=peter+travers|title=Criticwatch 2008 – The Whores of the Year|last=Childress|first=Erik|website=eFilmCritic.com|access-date=September 17, 2022|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110904072805/http://www.efilmcritic.com:80/feature.php?feature=2638|archive-date=September 4, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.efilmcritic.com/feature.php?feature=2904&highlight=peter+travers|title=Criticwatch 2009 – The Whores of the Year|last=Childress|first=Erik|website=eFilmCritic.com|access-date=September 17, 2022|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119080525/http://www.efilmcritic.com/feature.php?feature=2904|archive-date=January 19, 2012}}</ref>

===Homosexual HIV story===
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.<ref name="Drudge 2003">{{cite web |last1=Drudge |first1=Matt |author1-link=Matt Drudge |title=MAG: 25% OF NEW HIV-INFECTED GAY MEN SOUGHT OUT VIRUS, SAYS SAN FRAN HEALTH OFFICIAL |website=www.drudgereportarchives.com |publisher=[[Drudge Report]] |access-date=March 13, 2022 |url=http://www.drudgereportarchives.com/data/2003/01/22/20030122_165137_rr.htm |date=January 21, 2003 |archive-date=May 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180516120133/http://www.drudgereportarchives.com/data/2003/01/22/20030122_165137_rr.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="newsweek2003">{{cite web |last1=Mnookin |first1=Seth |authorlink=Seth Mnookin |title=Is Rolling Stone's Hiv Story Wildly Exaggerated? |url=https://www.newsweek.com/rolling-stones-hiv-story-wildly-exaggerated-135057 |website=Newsweek |language=en |date=January 22, 2003 |access-date=July 7, 2022 |archive-date=May 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220518101004/https://www.newsweek.com/rolling-stones-hiv-story-wildly-exaggerated-135057 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Sullivan 2003">{{cite web |last1=Sullivan |first1=Andrew |author1-link=Andrew Sullivan |title=Sex- and death-crazed gays play viral Russian Roulette! |url=https://www.salon.com/2003/01/24/rolling/ |website=Salon |language=en |date=January 25, 2003 |access-date=July 7, 2022 |archive-date=July 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220704133530/https://www.salon.com/2003/01/24/rolling/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Anti-vaccine article===
In 2005, the article "[[Deadly Immunity]]", by 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.<ref name="kloor">{{cite news |author=Kloor, Keith |author-link=Keith Kloor |date=July 18, 2014 |title=Robert Kennedy Jr.'s belief in autism-vaccine connection, and its political peril |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/robert-kennedy-jrs-belief-in-autism-vaccine-connection-and-its-political-peril/2014/07/16/f21c01ee-f70b-11e3-a606-946fd632f9f1_story.html |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |accessdate=November 22, 2015 |archive-date=November 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151123202252/https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/robert-kennedy-jrs-belief-in-autism-vaccine-connection-and-its-political-peril/2014/07/16/f21c01ee-f70b-11e3-a606-946fd632f9f1_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Tsarnaev cover===
The August 2013 ''Rolling Stone'' cover, featuring then-accused (and later convicted) [[Boston Marathon bombing|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]]".<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rolling-stone-cover-featuring-boston-marathon-bombing-suspect-stirs-online-backlash/|title = Rolling Stone cover featuring Boston Marathon bombing suspect stirs online backlash|date = July 17, 2013|website= CBS News|url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130717163158/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57594141/rolling-stone-cover-featuring-boston-marathon-bombing-suspect-stirs-online-backlash/|archive-date = July 17, 2013|df = mdy-all}}</ref> 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".<ref name=reitman>{{cite magazine|last=Reitman|first=Janet|title=Jahar's World|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/jahars-world-20130717|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=July 24, 2013|date=July 17, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130726050713/http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/jahars-world-20130717|archive-date=July 26, 2013}}</ref> 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.<ref name=wemple>{{cite news|last=Wemple|first=Erik|title=Rolling Stone's Tsarnaev: Did the New York Times face a backlash?|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2013/07/17/rolling-stones-tsarnaev-did-the-new-york-times-face-a-backlash/|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=July 24, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130722091511/http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2013/07/17/rolling-stones-tsarnaev-did-the-new-york-times-face-a-backlash/|archive-date=July 22, 2013}}</ref>

In response to the outcry, New England–based [[CVS Pharmacy]] and [[Tedeschi Food Shops]] banned their stores from carrying the issue.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/17/cvs-tedeschi-rolling-stone_n_3611805.html|title = Rolling Stone's 'The Bomber' Issue Banned By CVS, Tedeschi Foods|date = July 17, 2013|work = The Huffington Post|url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130718013350/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/17/cvs-tedeschi-rolling-stone_n_3611805.html|archive-date = July 18, 2013|df = mdy-all}}</ref> They were later joined by [[Walgreens]],<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.ajc.com/weblogs/biz-beat/2013/jul/17/cvs-dropping-rolling-stone-edition-boston-marathon/ | last=Seward | first=Christopher | title=Rolling Stone defends mag cover; CVS, Walgreens drop Rolling Stone edition on Boston Marathon suspect | work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution | date=July 17, 2013 | access-date=July 17, 2013 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130720231240/http://www.ajc.com/weblogs/biz-beat/2013/jul/17/cvs-dropping-rolling-stone-edition-boston-marathon/ | archive-date=July 20, 2013 | df=mdy-all }}</ref> [[Rite-Aid]], [[Kmart (United States)|Kmart]],<ref name="kmartriteaid">{{cite news | url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/retailers-rock-stars-rip-rolling-stones-boston-bomber-cover/ | title=Retailers, rock stars rip Rolling Stone's Boston bomber cover | work=Fox News | access-date=July 18, 2013 | date=July 18, 2013 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130719044442/http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/07/18/retailers-rock-stars-rip-rolling-stone-boston-bomber-cover/ | archive-date=July 19, 2013 | df=mdy-all }}</ref> [[Roche Bros.]], [[Stop & Shop]],<ref name="cover photo">{{cite news | url=https://tmz.com/2013/07/17/cvs-boycott-rolling-stone-boston-bomber-cover/ | title=CVS Boycotting Rolling Stone Over Boston Bomber Cover | work=TMZ | access-date=July 17, 2013 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130719234944/http://www.tmz.com/2013/07/17/cvs-boycott-rolling-stone-boston-bomber-cover/ | archive-date=July 19, 2013 | df=mdy-all }}</ref> [[H-E-B]], [[Walmart]],<ref name="HEBwalmart">{{cite news | url=https://www.chron.com/business/local/article/H-E-B-won-t-be-selling-a-roiling-Rolling-Stone-4672578.php | last=Morton | first=Neal | title=H-E-B won't be selling a roiling Rolling Stone | work=The Houston Chronicle | date=July 18, 2013 | access-date=July 19, 2013 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130722054240/http://www.chron.com/business/local/article/H-E-B-won-t-be-selling-a-roiling-Rolling-Stone-4672578.php | archive-date=July 22, 2013 | df=mdy-all }}</ref> [[7-Eleven]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Wilonsky|first=Robert|title=Dallas-based 7-Eleven joins list of retailers banning issue of 'Rolling Stone' featuring Dzhokhar Tsarnaev|url=http://thescoopblog.dallasnews.com/2013/07/dallas-based-7-eleven-joins-list-of-retailers-banning-issue-of-rolling-stone-featuring-dzhokhar-tsarnaev.html/|work=[[The Dallas Morning News]]|access-date=July 18, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130721082824/http://thescoopblog.dallasnews.com/2013/07/dallas-based-7-eleven-joins-list-of-retailers-banning-issue-of-rolling-stone-featuring-dzhokhar-tsarnaev.html/|archive-date=July 21, 2013}}</ref> [[Hy-Vee]], [[Rutter's Farm]], [[United Supermarkets]],<ref name="cstorerollingstone">{{cite news | url=http://www.csnews.com/top-story-corporate_responsibility-more_c_store_retailers_join_rolling_stone_boycott-64104.html | title=More C-store Retailers Join Rolling Stone Boycott | work=Convenience Store News | date=July 18, 2013 | access-date=July 19, 2013 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130722161659/http://www.csnews.com/top-story-corporate_responsibility-more_c_store_retailers_join_rolling_stone_boycott-64104.html | archive-date=July 22, 2013 | df=mdy-all }}</ref> [[Cumberland Farms]], [[DeMoulas Market Basket|Market Basket]],<ref name="augustrollingstoneissue">{{cite news | url=http://www.cw56.com/news/articles/local/boston/10011177596673/some-stores-won-t-sell-new-issue-of-rolling-stone/ | title=Some stores won't sell new issue of 'Rolling Stone' | work=CW 56 Boston | access-date=July 17, 2013 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212032320/http://www.cw56.com/news/articles/local/boston/10011177596673/some-stores-won-t-sell-new-issue-of-rolling-stone/ | archive-date=December 12, 2013 | df=mdy-all }}</ref> and [[Shaw's]].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.lowellsun.com/news/ci_23679228/mass-supermarkets-wont-carry-rolling-stones-tsarnaev-cover | title=Mass. supermarkets won't carry Rolling Stone's Tsarnaev cover | work=The Lowell Sun | access-date=July 17, 2013 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213023908/http://www.lowellsun.com/news/ci_23679228/mass-supermarkets-wont-carry-rolling-stones-tsarnaev-cover | archive-date=December 13, 2013 | df=mdy-all }}</ref>

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."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=513983038667049&set=a.513799432018743.1073741828.513576305374389&type=1&theater |title=Tijdlijnfoto's |website=Facebook |access-date=July 18, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101113330/https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=513983038667049&set=a.513799432018743.1073741828.513576305374389&type=1&theater |archive-date=January 1, 2016 }}</ref>

===Defamatory false rape story and lawsuit===
{{Main|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]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Erdely |first1=Sabrina |author-link=Sabrina Erdely |title=A Rape on Campus: A Brutal Assault and Struggle for Justice at UVA |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/a-rape-on-campus-20141119 |access-date=March 14, 2015 |date=November 19, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141120205928/http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/a-rape-on-campus-20141119 |archive-date=November 20, 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref> 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.<ref name="WaPoWemple">{{cite news |last=Wemple |first=Erik |date=December 2, 2014 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2014/12/02/rolling-stone-whiffs-in-reporting-on-alleged-rape/ |title=Rolling Stone whiffs in reporting on alleged rape |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=November 24, 2016 |archive-date=March 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150324051412/http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2014/12/02/rolling-stone-whiffs-in-reporting-on-alleged-rape/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Shapiro |first=T. Rees |date=December 10, 2014 |title=U-Va. students challenge Rolling Stone account of alleged sexual assault |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/u-va-students-challenge-rolling-stone-account-of-attack/2014/12/10/ef345e42-7fcb-11e4-81fd-8c4814dfa9d7_story.html |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=November 24, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123201907/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/u-va-students-challenge-rolling-stone-account-of-attack/2014/12/10/ef345e42-7fcb-11e4-81fd-8c4814dfa9d7_story.html |archive-date=November 23, 2016 }}</ref> Reporter [[Sabrina Erdely]]'s story was subject to intense media criticism.<ref name="WaPoWemple"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Schow |first=Ashe |date=December 3, 2014 |title=If false, Rolling Stone story could set rape victims back decades |url=http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/if-false-rolling-stone-story-could-set-rape-victims-back-decades/article/2556895 |newspaper=[[The Washington Examiner]] |access-date=December 5, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141203191436/http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/if-false-rolling-stone-story-could-set-rape-victims-back-decades/article/2556895 |archive-date=December 3, 2014 }}</ref> ''The Washington Post'' and ''Boston Herald'' issued calls for magazine staff involved in the report to be fired.<ref>{{cite news |date=December 7, 2014 |title=Apparently, this Rolling Stone gathers no facts |last=Cohen |first=Adriana |url=http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/columnists/adriana_cohen/2014/12/adriana_cohen_apparently_this_rolling_stone_gathers_no |newspaper=[[Boston Herald]] |access-date=December 7, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141207105348/http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/columnists/adriana_cohen/2014/12/adriana_cohen_apparently_this_rolling_stone_gathers_no |archive-date=December 7, 2014 }}</ref> ''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.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/a-note-to-our-readers-20141205 |title=A Note to Our Readers |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=December 5, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150903121715/http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/a-note-to-our-readers-20141205 |archive-date=September 3, 2015 }}</ref> The magazine commissioned an outside investigation of the story and its problems by the dean of the [[Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism|Columbia School of Journalism]]. The report uncovered journalistic failure in the UVA story and institutional problems with reporting at ''Rolling Stone''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2015/04/05/columbia-journalism-school-report-blasts-rolling-stone/ |title=Columbia Journalism School report blasts Rolling Stone |last=Wemple |first=Erik |date=April 5, 2015 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150407051152/http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2015/04/05/columbia-journalism-school-report-blasts-rolling-stone/ |archive-date=April 7, 2015 }}</ref> ''Rolling Stone'' retracted the story on April 5, 2015.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/a-rape-on-campus-what-went-wrong-20150405?page=5|title=Page 5 of Rolling Stone and UVA: The Columbia School of Journalism Report|magazine=Rolling Stone|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150406090831/http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/a-rape-on-campus-what-went-wrong-20150405?page=5|archive-date=April 6, 2015}}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/law/2015/04/07/sizing-up-phi-kappa-psis-potential-suit-against-rolling-stone/ |work=The Wall Street Journal |first=Jacob |last=Gershman |date=April 7, 2015 |title=Sizing Up Phi Kappa Psi's Potential Suit Against Rolling Stone |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170524215948/https://blogs.wsj.com/law/2015/04/07/sizing-up-phi-kappa-psis-potential-suit-against-rolling-stone/ |archive-date=May 24, 2017 }}</ref>

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."<ref>Shapiro, T. Rees, "[https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/u-va-dean-sues-rolling-stone-for-false-portrayal-in-retracted-rape-story/2015/05/12/2128a84a-f862-11e4-a13c-193b1241d51a_story.html U-Va. dean sues Rolling Stone for 'false' portrayal in retracted rape story] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150513080410/http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/u-va-dean-sues-rolling-stone-for-false-portrayal-in-retracted-rape-story/2015/05/12/2128a84a-f862-11e4-a13c-193b1241d51a_story.html |date=May 13, 2015 }}", ''[[Washington Post]]'', May 12, 2015</ref> On November 4, 2016, after 20 hours of deliberation,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailyprogress.com/news/local/rolling-stone-defendants-liable-for-defamation/article_89a5c93e-a2b6-11e6-84b2-2f2e7789ea55.html|title=Jury says Rolling Stone article defamed UVa administrator|first=Lauren|last=Berg|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060902102236/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/10224178/our_1000th_issue|archive-date=September 2, 2006}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://money.cnn.com/2016/11/04/media/uva-rolling-stone-defamation-jury/index.html|title=Rolling Stone trial: Jury finds magazine liable for defamation for discredited rape story|first=Julia|last=Horowitz|date=November 4, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161105032143/http://money.cnn.com/2016/11/04/media/uva-rolling-stone-defamation-jury/index.html|archive-date=November 5, 2016}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite news |title=Virginia college graduates sue Rolling Stone over rape story |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-sexcrimes-lawsuit-idUSKCN0Q32NS20150730 |newspaper=Reuters |date=July 29, 2015 |access-date=July 30, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150802051204/http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/30/us-usa-sexcrimes-lawsuit-idUSKCN0Q32NS20150730 |archive-date=August 2, 2015 }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news |title=Will Dana, Rolling Stone's Managing Editor, to Depart |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/30/business/media/will-dana-rolling-stones-managing-editor-to-depart.html?_r=0 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=July 29, 2015 |access-date=August 17, 2015 |first=Ravi |last=Somaiya |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150802043813/http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/30/business/media/will-dana-rolling-stones-managing-editor-to-depart.html?_r=0 |archive-date=August 2, 2015 }}</ref> On November 9, 2015, the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity filed suit for $25&nbsp;million for damages to its reputation caused by the magazine's publication of the story, "with reckless disregard for the truth".<ref name="Shapiro">{{cite news |last1=Shapiro |first1=T. Rees |title=U-Va. fraternity files $25&nbsp;million lawsuit against Rolling Stone |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2015/11/09/phi-psi-chapter-at-u-va-files-25-million-lawsuit-against-rolling-stone/ |access-date=November 9, 2015 |newspaper=[[Washington Post]] |date=November 9, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160601154120/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2015/11/09/phi-psi-chapter-at-u-va-files-25-million-lawsuit-against-rolling-stone/ |archive-date=June 1, 2016 }}</ref><ref name="Simpson">{{cite news |last1=Simpson |first1=Ian |title=Virginia fraternity sues Rolling Stone over rape story |url=http://www.aol.com/article/2015/11/09/virginia-fraternity-sues-rolling-stone-over-rape-story/21261516/ |access-date=November 9, 2015 |agency=Reuters |publisher=AOL |date=November 9, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20161007160210/http://www.aol.com/article/2015/11/09/virginia-fraternity-sues-rolling-stone-over-rape-story/21261516/ |archive-date=October 7, 2016 }}</ref> ''Rolling Stone'' paid the fraternity $1.65 million to settle the suit out of court.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/rolling-stone-settles-last-remaining-lawsuit-uva-rape-story-1069880/| title = Rolling Stone Settles Last Remaining Lawsuit Over UVA Rape Story| website = [[The Hollywood Reporter]]| date = December 21, 2017| access-date = September 6, 2021| archive-date = September 6, 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210906195637/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/rolling-stone-settles-last-remaining-lawsuit-uva-rape-story-1069880/| url-status = live}}</ref>

===Ethics controversy over El Chapo interview===
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.<ref name="reuters">{{cite news |last1=Dilts |first1=Elizabeth |title=Rolling Stone sparks new scrutiny after Sean Penn interview with 'El Chapo' |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-mexico-guzman-rollingstone/rolling-stone-sparks-new-scrutiny-after-sean-penn-interview-with-el-chapo-idUKKCN0UP02G20160111 |access-date=April 9, 2023 |work=[[Reuters]] |date=January 10, 2016 |archive-date=April 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409164817/https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-mexico-guzman-rollingstone/rolling-stone-sparks-new-scrutiny-after-sean-penn-interview-with-el-chapo-idUKKCN0UP02G20160111 |url-status=live }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Italie |first1=Hillel |title=Rolling Stone under fire for Sean Penn's El Chapo interview |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/rolling-stone-sean-penn-controversy-1.3397752 |access-date=April 6, 2023 |work=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]] |publisher=[[Associated Press]] |date=January 10, 2016 |archive-date=April 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409183332/https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/rolling-stone-sean-penn-controversy-1.3397752 |url-status=live }}</ref> 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''.<ref name="reuters"/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Carmody |first1=Casey |title=Rolling Stone Faces New Reporting Controversy, Continues to Face Questions over Retracted Story |url=https://conservancy.umn.edu/bitstream/handle/11299/184721/2016%20WinterSpring602.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |access-date=April 6, 2023 |work=The Silha Bulletin |publisher=[[University of Minnesota]] |date=Spring 2016 |archive-date=April 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409164816/https://conservancy.umn.edu/bitstream/handle/11299/184721/2016%20WinterSpring602.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |url-status=live }}</ref> 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."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dwyer |first1=Colin |title=Interview With 'El Chapo' Draws Backlash From Mexican Journalists |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/01/10/462595090/interview-with-el-chapo-draws-backlash-from-mexican-journalists |access-date=April 9, 2023 |work=[[NPR]] |date=January 10, 2016 |archive-date=April 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409175037/https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/01/10/462595090/interview-with-el-chapo-draws-backlash-from-mexican-journalists |url-status=live }}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sean Penn's interview helped us catch El Chapo, say Mexican sources |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2016/01/10/sean-penns-interview-helped-us-catch-el-chapo-say-mexican-sources.html |access-date=April 9, 2023 |work=[[NBC News]] |date=January 10, 2016 |archive-date=April 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409175037/https://www.cnbc.com/2016/01/10/sean-penns-interview-helped-us-catch-el-chapo-say-mexican-sources.html |url-status=live }}</ref> 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."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Carras |first1=Christi |title=Actress Kate del Castillo is calling actor Sean Penn's 2016 Rolling Stone |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2020-11-19/kate-del-castillo-sean-penn-el-chapo-rolling-stone |access-date=April 9, 2023 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=November 19, 2020 |archive-date=April 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409164816/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2020-11-19/kate-del-castillo-sean-penn-el-chapo-rolling-stone |url-status=live }}</ref>

Penn later said his article "had failed", noting that discussion about the ethics of the story overshadowed the actual report.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Schuppe |first1=Jon |title=Sean Penn Says His 'El Chapo' Article in Rolling Stone 'Failed' |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/sean-penn-says-his-el-chapo-article-rolling-stone-failed-n497341 |access-date=April 9, 2023 |work=[[NBC News]] |date=January 15, 2023 |archive-date=April 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409164816/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/sean-penn-says-his-el-chapo-article-rolling-stone-failed-n497341 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== False ivermectin story ===
In September 2021, ''Rolling Stone'' picked up a story published by [[Oklahoma]] news outlet [[KFOR-TV|KFOR]] which claimed that so many people had been hospitalized due to [[ivermectin]] overdoses in Oklahoma that there was no room in [[intensive care unit]]s for other patients, including those with gunshot wounds.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Ingram|first=Matthew|date=September 8, 2021|title=How a story about ivermectin and hospital beds went wrong|url=https://www.cjr.org/the_media_today/how-a-story-about-ivermectin-and-hospital-beds-went-wrong.php|url-status=live|access-date=September 26, 2021|website=[[Columbia Journalism Review]]|language=en|archive-date=September 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210926130416/https://www.cjr.org/the_media_today/how-a-story-about-ivermectin-and-hospital-beds-went-wrong.php}}</ref> However, an Oklahoma hospital said in a statement that there was no shortage of beds due to ivermectin overdoses,<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|date=September 5, 2021|title=Oklahoma hospitals respond after doctor says Ivermectin overdoses "backing up" emergency rooms|url=https://www.nwahomepage.com/news/around-the-region/oklahoma-hospitals-respond-after-doctor-says-ivermectin-overdoses-backing-up-emergency-rooms/|access-date=September 26, 2021|website=KNWA FOX24|language=en-US|archive-date=September 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210926130418/https://www.nwahomepage.com/news/around-the-region/oklahoma-hospitals-respond-after-doctor-says-ivermectin-overdoses-backing-up-emergency-rooms/|url-status=live}}</ref> 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.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Soave|first=Robby|date=September 6, 2021|title=The Media Fell for a Viral Hoax About Ivermectin Overdoses Straining Rural Hospitals|url=https://reason.com/2021/09/06/ivermectin-overdoses-oklahoma-hospitals-rolling-stone-hoax/|url-status=live|access-date=September 26, 2021|website=[[Reason (magazine)|Reason]]|language=en-US|archive-date=September 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210927035838/https://reason.com/2021/09/06/ivermectin-overdoses-oklahoma-hospitals-rolling-stone-hoax/}}</ref> [[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".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dale|first=Daniel|author-link=Daniel Dale|date=September 7, 2021|title=Fact-checking the misinformation about Oklahoma hospitals and ivermectin|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/07/politics/fact-check-oklahoma-ivermectin-story/index.html|url-status=live|access-date=September 26, 2021|website=[[CNN]]|archive-date=September 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210926130426/https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/07/politics/fact-check-oklahoma-ivermectin-story/index.html}}</ref> ''Rolling Stone'' subsequently added an editor's note that retracted the core point of its story.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Wade|first=Peter|date=September 6, 2021|title=One Hospital Denies Oklahoma Doctor's Story of Ivermectin Overdoses Causing ER Delays for Gunshot Victims|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/gunshot-victims-horse-dewormer-ivermectin-oklahoma-hospitals-covid-1220608/|url-status=live|access-date=October 10, 2021|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US|archive-date=October 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010030602/https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/gunshot-victims-horse-dewormer-ivermectin-oklahoma-hospitals-covid-1220608/}}</ref>

[[Kyle Smith (critic)|Kyle Smith]] of ''[[National Review]]'' called ''Rolling Stone''<nowiki/>'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."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Smith|first=Kyle|date=September 6, 2021|title=Running stories that are "too good to check" used to be a journalistic joke. Now it's S.O.P.|url=https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/whatever-happened-to-the-journalistic-b-s-detector/|url-status=live|access-date=September 26, 2021|website=[[National Review]]|language=en-US|archive-date=September 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210926130420/https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/whatever-happened-to-the-journalistic-b-s-detector/}}</ref> [[Robby Soave]] of ''[[Reason (magazine)|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."<ref name=":1" /> Alex Shephard of ''[[The New Republic]]'' wrote, "For [[Mainstream media|mainstream]] and, particularly, [[Liberalism in the United States|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."<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Shephard|first=Alex|date=September 7, 2021|title=How Is the Media Still Screwing Up Covid Stories?|magazine=[[The New Republic]]|url=https://newrepublic.com/article/163573/media-ivermectin-rachel-maddow-pandemic|access-date=September 26, 2021|issn=0028-6583|archive-date=October 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211006091122/https://newrepublic.com/article/163573/media-ivermectin-rachel-maddow-pandemic|url-status=live}}</ref>

===James Gordon Meek child pornography case===
On January 31, 2023, [[ABC News (United States)|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".<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/fbi-raid-abc-news_producer-1234613619/|title=FBI Raids Star ABC News Producer's Home|magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=March 23, 2023|date=October 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221019003915/https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/fbi-raid-abc-news_producer-1234613619/ |archive-date=October 19, 2022 }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Folkenflick |first=David |date=March 21, 2023 |title=The FBI raided a notable journalist's home. Rolling Stone didn't tell readers why |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/03/21/1164360143/rolling-stone-fbi-raid-journalist-james-gordon-meek |access-date=March 23, 2023 |website=NPR |archive-date=March 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323003504/https://www.npr.org/2023/03/21/1164360143/rolling-stone-fbi-raid-journalist-james-gordon-meek |url-status=live }}</ref>