Column | A ‘Rolling Stone’ with assisted breathing

it was Going to be the consecration of the editor, Jann Wenner (New York, 1946). His great creation, Rolling Stone, reached the half-century of existence. Despite the fact that the bi-weekly I was going through a long rough patch, Wenner wanted to take advantage of this figure to display muscle: events, luxury book, a documentary series on HBO, three-hour special on ABC...

The television program is suspended. Bad time to be associated with Wenner, accused of offering work in exchange for sex. Besides, the publication accepted to pay a compensation millionaire to those affected by a story about a rape (never tested) at the University of Virginia. The appearance of this text —without any warranties of accuracy, according to the criteria of american journalism— it was incomprehensible: I knew the thoroughness of his department with fact checking, tireless to the time to check that it was indeed true that he was going to publish. But, alas, the template had shrunk after the crisis of 2008.

More disasters. Playing tennis, Wenner broke a hip, then suffered a heart attack. Ceded the helm of the company to his son Gus, stupid kid arrogant whose journalistic experience is limited to a web page about video games (“they are rock 'n' roll of our time”). But the greatest error of Wenner was a product of his endian: you have ordered his biography to Joe Hagan, a freelancer leathery who thus consented to their immense files. Nothing grateful, Do he resisted the narcissism of Wenner. The book —titled Sticky fingers. The life and times of Jann Wenner and Rolling Stone magazine, in the Spanish version of NeoSounds— Marsbahis has sunk the reputation of the biographer.

Still missing the ultimate humiliation: Wenner was forced to sell what remained of their once-powerful empire, the 51% of Rolling Stone; to make matters worse, it was going to be controlled by Penske Media, a company with no pedigree, a shark of Internet that is dedicated to gobble headers illustrious or recent. The new owners have taken some radical measures: bi-weekly, Rolling Stone has gone on to be a monthly. Has increased size and price: 9.99 us dollars (in kiosks spaniards, 12,50 euros). And yes, the new Rolling Stone deserves to be commented on.

After the collapse of the weeklies british and the migration to the Internet of other music publications, has remained as the great survivor. It is a dean with a global reach: it has numerous editions in the five continents.

The magazine mother is still full of gossip, infographic, incisive political articles, powerful reporting. As for the music, it leaves the rock and is focused on sellers of rap, R & B, pop and country. Always under the guise of the style Wenner: the cover of November showed naked Zoe Kravitz, mimicking the pose of her mother, Lisa Bonet, in 1988. But, how to say it, the level of the current stars is quite another. Attention to this reflection of the rapper Cardi B on the right to possess weapons as a precaution against any temptation totalitarian federal Government: “you Have atomic bombs, so at least we have to reckon with weapons of fire.” Year II-Era Trump.