New York Magazine announced on August 15, 2026, that it has ended its relationship with columnist Ross Barkan following an investigation into allegations of plagiarism. The magazine stated that an independent editorial review found that Barkan did not meet its editorial standards, leading to updates on 67 columns that lacked proper attribution for language, information, or sourcing. The publication expressed regret for the failure to uphold these standards and apologized to the writers whose work was not adequately credited.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Barkan acknowledged that he should have been more careful with citations in his nearly 250 pieces and expressed his intention to improve in the future. He also mentioned plans to launch a new column in September.
The controversy began in May when Washington Post reporter Drew Harwell accused Barkan of copying content from his report about conservative commentator Ben Shapiro. Following Harwell's claims, New York Magazine issued an editor's note to credit the Washington Post. NPR correspondent Bobby Allyn later identified additional instances of similar phrasing in Barkan's work, including content from The Intercept and Compact Magazine. Initially, Barkan denied the allegations, stating he did not plagiarize.