New York Magazine cut ties with contract writer Ross Barkan in August 2026 following an extensive internal review that uncovered 67 columns containing improper attribution of language, sourcing, and information. The plagiarism scandal erupted after independent media scrutiny flagged striking similarities between Barkan’s work and published pieces in outlets like The Washington Post and Compact Magazine.
The Unraveling of a Prolific Contributor
Ross Barkan maintained an output across the American media landscape. Beyond his contributions to New York Magazine, he wrote for outlets like Crain’s New York and The New York Times, while publishing books of fiction and political nonfiction. That pace hit a wall earlier this year when social media observers noticed parallels between a Barkan column about conservative influencer Ben Shapiro and a preceding Washington Post report authored by Drew Harwell, as documented by NPR.
When the initial comparisons surfaced online, New York Magazine updated Barkan’s piece to directly credit Harwell, whose opening paragraphs had been lifted nearly wholesale. Subsequent checks by other publications and public media organizations revealed additional instances where Barkan pulled partial paragraphs from alternative outlets, including The Intercept and Compact Magazine. The duplicated passages typically involved historical background or structural context, occasionally matching thirty words in a row with only minor tweaks.
Matthew Schmitz, the editor of Compact Magazine, publicly condemned what he characterized as heavily plagiarized text, demanding formal institutional accountability.
Defending the Method Versus Industry Standards
Barkan chose not to deny relying on external texts. Instead, he mounted a defense centered on his hyperlinking practices and occasional explicit mentions of originating authors. In public statements on social media and through email exchanges, the 36-year-old writer argued that embedding hyperlinks to the exact reports that inspired his work satisfied ethical obligations, particularly when building upon another reporter’s foundational facts.
“I am allowed, as a columnist building on his reporting, to cite facts. Especially when he’s credited,” Barkan wrote on X regarding writer Juan David Rojas, whose work appeared similarly framed across several of Barkan’s columns. In an emailed statement to reporters, he added that the controversy was “all quite ridiculous,” emphasizing his extensive bibliography of hundreds of columns and essays.
Edward Wasserman, a professor of journalism at the University of California, Berkeley, pointed out that transparency requires explicit acknowledgment when borrowing the structural phrasing of peers. “This kind of laziness is a real embarrassment to the publication,” Wasserman noted, stressing that readers must clearly understand when a writer leans on another journalist’s specialized phrasing rather than independent synthesis.
The Institutional Fallout and Final Review
As external pressure mounted, New York Magazine spokesperson Lauren Starke confirmed that the publication launched a comprehensive examination of the writer’s archives. That internal audit ultimately proved definitive. Following the publication’s review, editors established that 67 individual columns failed to properly attribute language, information, or sourcing.
Consequently, New York Magazine severed its relationship with the writer, confirming it would no longer publish his columns. The professional fallout extends across a career trajectory that includes an unsuccessful 2018 Democratic primary run for a New York state senate seat and a succession of literary projects, including a novel titled Colossus, alongside a forthcoming book centered on New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
| Date / Period | Event | Key Publications Involved |
|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | Initial scrutiny over Shapiro column; Washington Post similarities noted | New York Magazine, The Washington Post, NPR |
| May 2026 | Additional allegations emerge regarding Intercept and Compact Magazine pieces | Compact Magazine, The Intercept |
| August 15, 2026 | Magazine concludes review, finding 67 columns lacked proper attribution | New York Magazine |
| August 2026 | Barkan announces temporary departure from public writing platforms |
Barkan announced he will take time away from his routine commentary following the fallout from the magazine’s decision.
