Ross Barkan Apologizes Amid Plagiarism Allegations

Ross Barkan, a former writer for New York Magazine and editor-in-chief of The Metropolitan Review, has publicly apologized following accusations of plagiarism. Barkan announced that he intends to step back for self-reflection.

“Let me first begin by saying I’m sorry. I truly am sorry for the mistakes I made,” Barkan expressed on the social media platform X. “None of them, genuinely, were willful or intentional. In the course of writing many columns a week, I did not use citations as aggressively as I should have and did not paraphrase well enough. I never intended to crib from anyone’s work. I promise all of you that. I recognize, though, how I failed. I am sorry to the journalists whose work I did not properly cite.”

He added, “I’m going to take some time away and self-reflect. I promise to do a much better job going forward.”

Following the plagiarism probe, New York Magazine has decided to sever ties with Barkan. He had previously hinted at a September event via The Metropolitan Review but provided no updates apart from his recent apology.

Fox News Digital sought comments from Barkan and The Metropolitan Review but did not receive immediate responses.

Plagiarism Controversy

Allegations surfaced in May, initiated by Washington Post reporter Drew Harwell, who accused Barkan of copying from his report on conservative commentator Ben Shapiro and The Daily Wire. Barkan’s initial denial, terming the accusations “ridiculous,” was followed by New York Magazine’s decision to sever ties after verifying that he “did not adhere” to editorial standards.

An independent review led to updates in 67 of Barkan’s columns to include proper citations and acknowledgments. NPR correspondent Bobby Allyn discovered further instances of similar phrasing from The Intercept and Compact Magazine.

New York Magazine stated, “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 affirmed commitment to correcting future inaccuracies, ensuring proper attribution.

This controversy has highlighted the critical importance of proper citation and editorial integrity.

Previously, Barkan addressed the situation, stating, “We’ve decided to end the column and I send all the best to New York Magazine. In the course of nearly 250 pieces, there were times I should have been more careful with citation. I’m sorry about these errors and will work to do better, more careful in the future.”

Joseph Wulfsohn contributed to the report for Fox News. Tips can be directed to Lindsay Kornick, an associate editor for Fox News Digital, via email or Twitter.