About

For decades, Rolling Stone magazine has shaped the way generations of readers in the United States and beyond engage with music, entertainment and current affairs. The cultural phenomenon, founded by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph Gleason in San Francisco in 1967, has – without fear or favour – included “all the news that fits” and in so doing, built a reputation unparalleled within its sphere. 

Now, the iconic, multi-platform media brand is published in the UK, by the team behind the much-loved, high-profile Attitude magazine, the UK and Europe’s best-selling LGBTQ title. 

Stream Publishing, the award-winning content creation and live events agency owned and run by Darren Styles OBE, has an exclusive licensing deal with Penske Media Corporation (PMC), owner of the Rolling Stone brand, to operate the print title and its associated digital and social platforms in the UK from autumn 2021, with live events rolled out from spring 2022. 

Says Darren Styles OBE, Managing Director of Stream Publishing:
“The arrival of Rolling Stone in the UK is not only a hugely exciting development for our brilliant team, but also fantastic news for the UK music and entertainment industries which deserve the showcase and platform that this iconic brand delivers. A Rolling Stone cover is the picture worth 10,000 words, and UK artists now have opportunities of their own to achieve just that, as well access to the RS network that stretches well beyond its native USA to Australia, China and more than a dozen other countries.” 

“We are excited to have the opportunity to platform UK writing talent to commentate on one of the most fascinating political ages this country has seen and have the opportunity to bring to light the kind of long-reads and investigative work made famous by the like of Hunter S Thompson, P J O’Rourke and Tom Wolfe. Rolling Stone UK, here as there, shares the stories that need to be told, shines light into dark corners and yet celebrates, too, that which entertains us. There is no title better suited to these times.” 

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to launch Rolling Stone UK with our partners at Stream Publishing. To bring our content to a country we have a longstanding history with, and admiration for, feels right,” said Rolling Stone President and COO, Gus Wenner. “The UK is the birthplace of some of the most iconic musicians, many of whom have played a significant role in shaping our legacy. This is another exciting chapter in our evolution.” 

Fact-checking policy

Rolling Stone UK’s writers and columnists are professional journalists conversant with publishing law and both they, and our sub-editing team, make every effort to confirm – prior to publication – the accuracy of facts or quotations used in any and every story. Our writers must be precise with their words, headlines and cited URLs. They understand that words have power and act responsibly. In doing so, they must verify the information they gather. This includes identifying information such as names and positions, but also includes factual statements and accounts. Our writers conduct their own fact-checking using their own judgment guided by our ethics policy. We will use fact checkers in circumstances we believe warrant doing so.

Ethics policy

Our ethics policy gives our employees and contributors guidelines on our business ethics and stance on various matters. They are trusted to use judgment, but we provide guidance to fall back on if anyone is unsure about how to act. This policy applies to everyone we employ or have business relations with. This includes individual people such as employees, interns and volunteers, but also business entities.

We base our business code of ethics on common principles of:

• Respect for others. Treat people as you want to be treated. Be kind, polite and understanding.
• Integrity and honesty. Tell the truth and avoid any wrongdoing to the best of your ability. Be honest and transparent when you act in ways that impact other people.
• Justice. Make sure you’re objective and fair and don’t disadvantage others. Don’t act in a way that exploits others, their hard work or their mistakes. Give everyone equal opportunity and speak up when someone else doesn’t. Do not discriminate in any way.
• Lawfulness. Know and follow the law – always. Respect confidentiality and data protection. Following laws regarding fraud, bribery, corruption and any kind of assault is a given.
• Competence and accountability. Work hard, be responsible for your work and your actions. We all mistakes, it’s important to own up to them.
• Teamwork. Collaborate and ask for help. Working well with others is a virtue, rather than an obligation. Be generous with your expertise and knowledge. Be open to learning and evolving.

Corrections policy

All articles have been fact-checked prior to publication by the author/sub-editor, which should ensure that content errors are not present. Nonetheless, for a variety of reasons some articles may need to be corrected after publication. Such reasons can range from minor typos and small errors through to more serious issues concerning ethics and copyright. We handle different kinds of errors in the following ways:

• Amendment. For minor content, we may directly amend the article if the error is reported or subsequently found. We reserve the right to decide what constitutes a minor issue and whether a note or correction article is necessary.
• Correction article. Where an error would affect the conclusions of an article (but not the validity of the findings), or contains incorrect information, a correction article can be posted. Correction articles are used to formally correct the record and to ensure errors are properly highlighted. The original article will contain a banner that links to the correction to alert readers.
• Retraction. Retractions are used to remove a published piece from the record. Retractions are used when: editors have clear evidence that the article’s findings are unreliable, either as a result of misconduct or honest error; a story has previously been published elsewhere without proper cross-referencing, permission or justification; article publication constitutes plagiarism; the article is unethical. Retractions will be drafted and posted in the same way as correction articles.
• Withdrawal. In rare circumstances, articles will be withdrawn and removed from the site.

Ownership and funding policy

Rolling Stone UK is owned by Stream Publishing Limited, a private limited company (registration number 6766284) based in the United Kingdom, covered by the laws of England and Wales. The company fully complies with tax laws within that jurisdiction and full accounting procedures are in place. Stream Publishing has a single shareholder, Mr Darren Styles OBE.

Stream Publishing is the sole owner of the lists of signed up, registered e-mail or magazine subscribers and any social media accounts in the name of @rollingstoneuk or variations thereof. The company complies with GDPR laws on data privacy and is open and transparent about any data held.

The company has signed agreements with a number of advertisers who are provided with display advertising within this website and others. Advertising providers are also used for some display ads within this website and others. Neither Rolling Stone UK nor Stream Publishing accept revenue for written article content that isn’t clearly marked as sponsored or advertising content – and nor does either party control the brands or content (commercial or political) displayed in the ads placed on the website.

All expenses related to the operation of Stream Publishing are covered from income generated by its publishing activities, on or offline, or by its shareholder.
Published by Stream Publishing Limited under license from Rolling Stone, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Media Corporation. 

Editorial team information

firstname.surname@rollingstone.co.uk