New York Magazine has severed ties with columnist Ross Barkan after an independent editorial review found 67 of his columns failed to properly credit other writers, the magazine confirmed. The review, which began in May following plagiarism allegations, determined that Barkan did not adhere to New York's editorial standards for attribution of language, information, and sourcing.
The controversy originated with a May 14 column titled "Why Ben Shapiro's Media Empire Is Collapsing." Washington Post reporter Drew Harwell posted a side-by-side comparison showing Barkan's lede nearly matched the opening of his own May 9 story on Shapiro and the Daily Wire. The allegations widened days later when NPR correspondent Bobby Allyn ran Barkan's archive through an AI model and found additional passages closely matching work published in The Intercept and Compact Magazine.
"After an independent editorial review, New York found that Ross Barkan did not adhere to our editorial standards, and we have updated 67 columns that did not include proper attribution of language, information, and/or sourcing," the magazine said in a statement. It added that it would no longer publish his column and apologized "to the writers whose work was not properly attributed."
Barkan told the New York Post the split was mutual. "We've decided to end the column and I send all the best to New York Magazine," he said. He acknowledged citation errors without directly addressing the plagiarism allegations. "In the course of nearly 250 pieces, there were times I should have been more careful with my citation. I'm sorry about these errors and will work to do better, more careful work in the future."
What the Right Is Saying
The Daily Wire, which broke and maintained coverage of the story, framed the plagiarism findings as validating what it characterized as a pattern of ethical violations by a prominent liberal voice. The outlet's initial reporting highlighted the nearly verbatim match between Barkan's lede on Shapiro and Harwell's Washington Post piece.
Conservative commentators pointed to the 67-column finding as evidence of systemic citation problems rather than isolated errors. Some noted that while plagiarism in journalism typically results in termination, they argued progressive media outlets have historically been slower to hold their own writers accountable compared to conservative counterparts.
Barkan had written multiple columns critical of Ben Shapiro and the Daily Wire before his May column claiming Shapiro's "media empire is collapsing." The irony of a critic of conservative media being found to have plagiarized from mainstream outlets has not been lost on critics on the right, who argued it undermines credibility in media criticism.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive commentators and some journalism ethics observers have offered mixed reactions to Barkan's firing. When the allegations first surfaced in May, Barkan called them "all quite ridiculous" in a statement to NPR. He argued that linking to writers he drew from constituted sufficient credit.
In defending himself against Compact Magazine plagiarism accusations, Barkan wrote: "I am allowed, as a columnist building on his reporting, to cite facts. Especially when he's credited." He added: "I have written hundreds upon hundreds of columns, essays, and pieces of journalism in my career. I stand by my record."
Barkan's political work included supporting socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, whom he managed in a failed 2018 Democratic primary bid for a South Brooklyn state Senate seat. Barkan told Current Affairs the campaign was "a progressive campaign" that was "proudly pro-Palestine." He has written hundreds of columns critical of conservative media and political figures.
What the Numbers Show
New York Magazine identified 67 columns with improper attribution following its independent editorial review. Barkan wrote approximately 250 pieces for the publication during his tenure. The initial plagiarism was discovered within hours of publication when Harwell posted a side-by-side comparison on social media showing near-verbatim matching text between the two ledes.
Barkan's book, "The Revolutionary: Zohran Mamdani and the Remaking of American Politics," scheduled for October 6 release by Random House, appears to have been pulled from the publisher's schedule. Its page on Penguin Random House's website no longer resolves as of Saturday, with listings at Bookshop.org, BookPal and Target reverting to placeholder "Untitled 8221" status.
Barkan said he will launch a new column at The Nation in September. Random House did not respond to requests for clarification on the book's status.
The Bottom Line
The firing marks a significant professional consequence for Barkan, who had built a following writing progressive political commentary from a left-leaning perspective. His transition to The Nation, another prominent left-leaning publication, suggests his ideological network within progressive media remains intact despite the plagiarism findings.
What remains unclear is whether Random House will formally cancel the book contract or seek modifications. Publishers typically include morality clauses in author agreements that can be triggered by conduct deemed damaging to a work's commercial viability. Barkan has not publicly addressed the book's status.
The case also raises questions about how news organizations verify attribution in long-tenured writers' archives, with some observers noting that the initial discovery came from another journalist rather than New York's own editorial processes.