New York Magazine is examining the past work of one of its writers after he was accused of plagiarizing passages from other journalists’ stories. Ross Barkan, a contract writer for the magazine, drew criticism earlier this week when his story on conservative influencer Ben Shapiro Ben Shapiro closely mirrored a Washington Post piece by reporter Drew Harwell Drew Harwell. The similarities were so close that New York Magazine updated Barkan’s story to directly quote Harwell and credit him after the plagiarism was pointed out on social media.

Magazine launches review after multiple plagiarism claims

NPR found at least two more instances where Barkan appears to have lifted paragraphs nearly verbatim from other publications. In one case, he pulled a passage from a story in The Intercept, and in another, he copied a paragraph from Compact Magazine. In both cases, the lifted text provided historical context or background for his stories. Some passages contained identical sequences of 30 words or near-identical phrasing with only minor tweaks.

New York Magazine confirmed it is reviewing Barkan’s prior work after the allegations surfaced. ‘We are conducting a review of the writer’s prior work,’ spokesperson Lauren Starke told NPR. The magazine has not yet commented on whether Barkan will face further consequences or if his contract will be affected. Meanwhile, Compact Magazine editor Matthew Schmitz Matthew Schmitz publicly condemned Barkan’s actions on X, calling the plagiarized sections ‘heavily plagiarized’ and demanding the magazine address the issue.

Barkan defends his methods but offers no direct apology

Barkan did not deny relying on other writers’ work but defended his approach by pointing to hyperlinks and citations he included in his stories. ‘I am allowed, as a columnist building on his reporting, to cite facts,’ he argued. However, his defense did not address the fact that he copied entire paragraphs without sufficient attribution or quotation marks. Plagiarism involves passing off someone else’s work as your own, and copying paragraph-length passages—even with a link—doesn’t meet standard journalistic ethics.

This isn’t the first time Barkan has faced scrutiny over his writing methods. He’s also under fire for a forthcoming book about New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani Zohran Mamdani, which some critics argue relies too heavily on secondary sources without proper original reporting. The allegations against Barkan come at a time when media organizations are under increasing pressure to ensure transparency and accountability in their reporting.

Barkan’s case highlights a growing concern in journalism: the fine line between citing sources and outright plagiarism. While journalists often build on the work of others, they’re expected to do so by paraphrasing, attributing, and adding original analysis. Copying large chunks of text without clear demarcation crosses a professional line that can damage both the writer’s reputation and the credibility of the publication.

For now, New York Magazine has not indicated whether Barkan’s contract will be terminated or if he’ll be asked to retract the plagiarized stories. The review could lead to disciplinary action, but the magazine has not provided a timeline for its findings. The case also raises questions about how publications vet their writers’ work and the role editors play in catching plagiarism before stories go live.

The broader implications of this scandal could extend beyond Barkan’s career. If the review finds widespread plagiarism, it might force New York Magazine and other outlets to tighten their editorial standards, implement stricter plagiarism checks, or even re-examine past work from other writers. For readers, the case underscores the importance of trusting but verifying the sources behind the stories they consume—especially in an era where misinformation and plagiarism can spread quickly.

What You Need to Know

  • Source: NPR
  • Published: May 17, 2026 at 04:23 UTC
  • Category: World
  • Topics: #npr · #usa · #world-news · #zohran-mamdani · #image · #tube

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Curated by GlobalBR News · May 17, 2026

🇧🇷 Resumo em Português

O prestigioso New York Magazine está reavaliando a trajetória profissional do jornalista Ross Barkan após denúncias de plágio em pelo menos três de seus textos publicados. A revista, conhecida por seu rigor editorial, anunciou uma revisão minuciosa de todo o material produzido pelo repórter, que enfrenta acusações de copiar trechos de outros veículos e autores sem a devida atribuição. O caso acende um alerta global sobre os desafios éticos no jornalismo contemporâneo, especialmente em um cenário onde a velocidade da informação muitas vezes conflita com a verificação de fontes.

No Brasil, onde a discussão sobre integridade jornalística tem ganhado força nos últimos anos, a situação de Barkan ressoa como um exemplo emblemático dos riscos de se negligenciar os princípios éticos em nome da produtividade. Com a disseminação de práticas como “jornalismo de reciclagem” e a pressão por pautas virais, a credibilidade da imprensa brasileira também tem sido testada, exigindo maior transparência das redações. Para o público de língua portuguesa, o episódio serve como um lembrete da importância de fiscalizar o trabalho da mídia, independentemente do porte do veículo.

A apuração deve concluir em breve se Barkan manterá seu posto na revista ou enfrentará consequências profissionais, enquanto o caso reabre o debate sobre mecanismos mais rígidos de controle de qualidade no jornalismo internacional.

🇪🇸 Resumen en Español

El prestigioso New York Magazine ha decidido revisar todas las colaboraciones de su columnista Ross Barkan tras las graves acusaciones de plagio que pesan sobre él, al menos tres artículos publicados han sido señalados como copias literales o paráfrasis no atribuidas. La revista, conocida por su rigor editorial, no ha tardado en reaccionar ante el escándalo, que amenaza con empañar su reputación y la de uno de sus firmantes más destacados.

La polémica no solo cuestiona la integridad profesional de Barkan, sino que reaviva el debate sobre los controles internos en los medios digitales, donde la presión por la inmediatez puede relajar los filtros de verificación. Para los lectores hispanohablantes, este caso recuerda otros sonados escándalos similares en la prensa anglosajona, subrayando la importancia de la transparencia y la ética en el periodismo global. La decisión del New York Magazine de auditar su archivo podría sentar un precedente sobre cómo las publicaciones manejan las faltas éticas de sus colaboradores, un tema de creciente interés en una era de desconfianza hacia los medios.