New York Magazine has ended its association with columnist Ross Barkan following a detailed investigation into allegations of plagiarism. The publication found that Barkan did not meet its editorial standards and subsequently updated 67 of his columns to properly attribute language, information, and sources.
In a statement, New York Magazine said, “We have updated our archives to include proper attribution in all of the stories that our review found previously inadequate, noting that those updates were made, and are committed to addressing any other instances that come to light.” The magazine also stated, “Upon conclusion of the review, we have determined that we will no longer publish his column. We regret that this work did not live up to our editorial standards and apologize to the writers whose work was not properly attributed.”
Barkan addressed the issue in a statement to Fox News Digital, acknowledging, “We’ve decided to end the column and I send all the best to New York Magazine. In the course of nearly 250 pieces, there were times I should have been more careful with citation. I’m sorry about these errors and will work to do better, more careful in the future.” He also mentioned plans to start a new column in September.
The controversy started in May when Washington Post reporter Drew Harwell accused Barkan of using material from his report on conservative commentator Ben Shapiro and The Daily Wire without proper attribution. Following Harwell’s comments, New York Magazine added an editor’s note to credit the Washington Post.
NPR correspondent Bobby Allyn found further instances of Barkan seemingly using material from other publications like The Intercept and Compact Magazine. Allyn noted that some passages contained identical or nearly identical phrases and descriptions.
Initially, Barkan denied the allegations, calling the situation “ridiculous.” Despite his defense, the investigation led to the end of his column with New York Magazine.
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