New York Magazine is currently reviewing older articles from one of its contributors after plagiarism allegations surfaced just days ago.
Ross Barkan, the columnist in question, faces accusations of copying from other writers in at least three recent pieces. This includes a report from the Washington Post regarding Ben Shapiro and concerns about his conservative media presence.
Barkan has **strongly denied** these claims, which gained traction on social media following a post from Washington Post journalist Drew Harwell, who shared a screenshot highlighting strikingly similar paragraphs in two different articles.
Shortly thereafter, the magazine updated the opening section of Barkan’s piece to reference the Washington Post reporter and included an editor’s note at the conclusion: “This article has been updated based on credit reporting from The Washington Post.”
In light of the situation, Barkan noted that after using an AI tool to assess his earlier work, he found two more instances where he allegedly “borrowed” content from writers at organizations like Intercept and Compact Magazine.
A representative from the magazine confirmed that, due to the controversy, there would be an investigation into Barkan’s previous publications.
Lauren Stark, the spokesperson for the magazine, communicated to the Post: “We are reviewing the writer’s past work.”
Barkan reacted strongly, saying, “In the past year, I have published around 150 columns between Crain’s and New York Magazine. I’m currently writing articles for those that required citation, and the others have been properly cited.”
He further argued, “When it comes to ‘multiple’ instances, that’s just a few out of hundreds, and honestly, most of them are pretty weak examples. This whole thing feels like a non-story. I stand by my record, and it speaks for itself—I’m confident in my contributions to this industry, much like anyone else’s.”
