Rolling Stone granted notorious drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman approval power over an exclusive profile it published on him late Saturday night.
A disclosure at the top of the piece, authored by actor Sean Penn, alerts readers that "some names have had to be changed, locations not named."
It also reveals that editors agreed to let "El Chapo" review the story ahead of time and request changes.
Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is escorted by army soldiers to a waiting helicopter, at a federal hangar in Mexico City, Friday, Jan. 8, 2016. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
"[A]n understanding was brokered with the subject that this piece would be submitted for the subject’s approval before publication," the disclosure states. "The subject did not ask for any changes."
[sharequote align="center"]"[A]n understanding was brokered with the subject that this piece would be submitted for the subject’s approval before publication."[/sharequote]
It is widely considered to be against the basic principles of journalism to grant a subject such authority over a piece.
Rolling Stone's journalistic practices have been criticized since its publication of a now discredited gang-rape story at the University of Virginia.
A representative for Rolling Stone did not immediately reply to TheBlaze's request for comment Saturday night.
Guzman was captured by Mexican marines early Friday in a coastal city, and the attorney general says the drug boss was tracked down partly because he was making a biographical movie.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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