Ross Barkan has issued an apology for 67 instances of plagiarism, a move that follows his dismissal from New York Magazine and the cancellation of his upcoming book. Barkan, who had previously defended his work, expressed his regret on Wednesday, stating, “I am truly sorry for the mistakes I made. None of them, genuinely, were willful or intentional.”
New York Magazine terminated Barkan’s employment after a review uncovered the significant number of instances where language, information, or sourcing was not properly attributed. The magazine issued its own statement, saying, “We regret that this work did not live up to our editorial standards, and apologize to the writers whose work was not appropriately attributed.”
Following the magazine's decision, Penguin Random House halted sales and promotion for Barkan’s book, titled “The Revolutionary: Zohran Mamdani and the Remaking of American Politics.” The book, which frequently praised Mayor Zohran Mamdani, was scheduled for an October release but was subsequently removed from major online retailers.
Barkan’s initial reaction to the plagiarism allegations was defiant. After NPR reported on the similarities in his work in May, Barkan accused the reporter of “character assassination” and stated, “I won’t be bullied.” He later offered a more subdued apology, acknowledging that he “should have been more careful with my citation” in his nearly 250 pieces for the magazine.
Barkan’s explanation for the lapses included not using citations aggressively enough and not paraphrasing adequately. He stated, “I never intended to crib from anyone’s work.” He concluded his recent apology by saying he intends to take time away for self-reflection and vowed to “do a much better job going forward.”
The New York Times reported that a review of Barkan's freelance work for the paper did not uncover any evidence of misconduct. The Nation is currently reviewing his contributions to its publication, and inquiries have been made to The Atlantic and The Guardian regarding their review processes.