New York magazine is reviewing the work of one of its contract writers, Ross Barkan, after he was accused of plagiarism in at least three stories. The allegations surfaced when one of his articles on conservative influencer Ben Shapiro appeared to copy a piece published in The Washington Post.
Barkan’s story was updated to quote the Post writer, Drew Harwell, after the similarities were pointed out on social media. Further investigation found two other instances where Barkan apparently pulled partial paragraphs from other stories in The Intercept and Compact Magazine.
Plagiarism Allegations
The paragraphs in question summarize historical background or context, with some instances containing identical passages with slight tweaks. New York magazine spokesperson Lauren Starke said the magazine is conducting a review of Barkan’s prior work.
Barkan defended his methods, arguing that he included hyperlinks to the pieces that inspired his work or named the authors whose words he replicated. However, journalism experts say that significant chunks of word-for-word copying without quotation marks is considered plagiarism.
Edward Wasserman, a professor of journalism at the University of California, Berkeley, said that failing to acknowledge the originating source is a serious problem. “This kind of laziness is a real embarrassment to the publication,” Wasserman said.
Implications and Reactions
Barkan’s response to the allegations was that inserting hyperlinks and naming the writers he pulled from was enough acknowledgement. He said, “I have written hundreds of columns, essays, and pieces of journalism in my career, I stand by my record.”
The allegations have sparked a wider discussion about journalistic integrity and the importance of proper citation. As the magazine reviews Barkan’s work, the incident serves as a reminder that plagiarism can have serious consequences for writers and publications.
