Ross Barkan’s Apology and Future Plans After Plagiarism Allegations

Apology and Reflection

Ross Barkan, a former writer for New York Magazine and editor-in-chief of The Metropolitan Review, has apologized again following multiple plagiarism allegations. He announced on Wednesday his intention to “self-reflect” during a period of time away. Barkan expressed regret on social media platform X, stating, “Let me first begin by saying I’m sorry. I truly am sorry for the mistakes I made.”

He emphasized that these mistakes were not “willful or intentional,” citing the high volume of columns generated weekly as part of the problem. He admitted to inadequate citation practices and poor paraphrasing, assuring that he never intended to plagiarize others’ work. Barkan acknowledged his shortcomings and extended apologies to journalists whose work was insufficiently credited.

Furthermore, Barkan stated, “I’m going to take some time away and self-reflect,” with a commitment to improve his practices moving forward.

New York Magazine’s Decision

Amid the controversy, New York Magazine decided to sever ties with Barkan after a plagiarism investigation revealed numerous issues with his work. Barkan hinted at a potential event in September, via The Metropolitan Review, in a previous X post but provided no updates beyond his latest statement regarding his future with the publication.

Despite reaching out, Fox News Digital did not receive comments from Barkan or The Metropolitan Review regarding these developments.

Plagiarism Allegations and Investigation

The situation originated in May when Washington Post reporter Drew Harwell accused Barkan of using material from his report on conservative commentator Ben Shapiro and The Daily Wire in a column. Following this, New York Magazine updated its article with an editor’s note attributing Harwell’s work. However, Harwell expressed uncertainty over the entire incident.

Further investigations by NPR correspondent Bobby Allyn revealed similar instances in Barkan’s other reports involving The Intercept and Compact Magazine. Initially dismissing these allegations as “ridiculous,” Barkan maintained his innocence.

Publication’s Statement and Actions

New York Magazine publicly stated that following an independent editorial review, Barkan’s work failed to meet editorial standards regarding proper citation. Consequently, the publication updated 67 columns with corrected attribution for language, information, and sources. The statement, obtained by Semafor, emphasized their commitment to rectifying any further issues discovered.

Barkan, in a statement to Fox News Digital at the time, acknowledged the conclusion of his column with the magazine. He expressed his intentions to improve citation practices in future endeavors and extended best wishes to New York Magazine post-termination.

Fox News’ Joseph Wulfsohn and Lindsay Kornick, Associate Editor for Fox News Digital, contributed to the report. Kornick invites story tips via email at [email protected] and Twitter at @lmkornick.