New York Magazine Faces Plagiarism Scandal

The Allegations Against Ross Barkan

Ross Barkan, a contract writer for New York Magazine, is under scrutiny for allegedly plagiarizing content from other publications. This controversy began when his article on conservative influencer Ben Shapiro was found to have striking similarities to a piece published just days earlier in The Washington Post. Following social media backlash, New York Magazine updated Barkan's story to include direct quotes from the original author, Drew Harwell.

NPR's investigation revealed at least two additional instances where Barkan seemingly copied paragraphs from the Intercept and Compact Magazine. Critics argue that while journalists often share similar phrasing, Barkan's use of nearly identical text without proper quotation marks constitutes plagiarism. Edward Wasserman, a journalism professor, emphasized the importance of acknowledging original sources, stating that failing to do so reflects poorly on the publication.

Barkan defended his actions by claiming that hyperlinking to the original articles and naming the authors was sufficient acknowledgment. However, this defense has not quelled the criticism, with calls for New York Magazine to take decisive action against the allegations.