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‘New York’ magazine investigating plagiarism claims against writer Ross Barkan

Nypost · · 338 words · By Emily Crane
Journalistic Integrity Plagiarism Allegations
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What to know about Journalistic Integrity

‘New York’ magazine investigating plagiarism claims against writer Ross Barkan New York Magazine is reviewing past articles from one of its columnists just days after he was hit with plagiarism allegations.

Claims checked 8
Techniques found 1
Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center80%
Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

‘New York’ magazine investigating plagiarism claims against writer Ross Barkan New York Magazine is reviewing past articles from one of its columnists just days after he was hit with plagiarism allegations.

Why it matters

The contributor, Ross Barkan, was accused of ripping off other writers in at least three articles published recently in the magazine — including a Washington Post report from last week on Ben Shapiro and questions over the health of his conservative media…

Common ground

Barkan, who has strenuously denied the plagiarism claims, was called out on social media after Washington Post reporter Drew Harwell posted screenshots that pointed out near-identical paragraphs in the two stories.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/17/us-news/new-york-magazine-investigating-plagiarism…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 8 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 4
info Single Source 4
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Claim 1: “including a Washington Post report from last week on Ben Shapiro and questions over the health of his conservative media empire.”
CORROBORATED
NPR and other reports explicitly mention that a story about Ben Shapiro appeared to copy a piece published in The Washington Post.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Ross Elliot Barkan is an American journalist, novelist, and essayist.In Barkan's 2018 candidate profile page on the New York City Campaign Finance Board website, he described himself as a member of th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Barkan
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — New York Magazine columnist Ross Barkan has been accused of "heavily" plagiarizing a report, just days after a Washington Post reporter called him out.
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/celebrity/articles/york-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Ross Barkan, who is a contract writer for the magazine, first attracted critical scrutiny when one of his stories earlier this week on the conservative influencer Ben Shapiro appeared to copy another …
https://www.npr.org/2026/05/17/nx-s1-5824503/new-york-magazi…
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Claim 2: “The contributor, Ross Barkan, was accused of ripping off other writers in at least three articles published recently in the magazine”
CORROBORATED
NPR and other reports state that Barkan has been accused of plagiarism in at least three stories with striking similarities to other writers' work.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Ross Stores, Inc., operating under the brand name Ross Dress for Less, is an American chain of discount department stores headquartered in Dublin, California. [6]
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Stores
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Ross Dress for Less offers the best bargains on the latest trends in clothing, shoes, home decor and more! Find your store today!
https://www.rossstores.com/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Ross Stores, Inc., affectionately known as Ross Dress for Less, is a widely admired retail powerhouse, known for its extensive range of quality, brand-name products at remarkably reduced prices. Many …
https://www.onlineshoppinglife.com/ross-dress-for-less/ross-…
info
Claim 3: “Between Crain’s and New York Magazine in the last calendar year, I have published something like 150 columns.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence confirms Barkan's role as a writer for New York Magazine and other outlets, but does not contain the specific figure of '150 columns' in the last calendar year.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Ross Elliot Barkan is an American journalist, novelist, and essayist.Barkan was a columnist for The Guardian and a columnist for Jacobin magazine.[17][19] He is a contributor to The Nation.[20]. In 20…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Barkan
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Ross Barkan, who is a contract writer for the magazine, first attracted critical scrutiny when one of his stories earlier this week on the conservative influencer Ben Shapiro appeared to copy another …
https://www.npr.org/2026/05/17/nx-s1-5824503/new-york-magazi…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — New York Magazine columnist Ross Barkan has been accused of "heavily" plagiarizing a report, just days after a Washington Post reporter called him out.
https://www.mediaite.com/media/new-york-magazine-writer-accu…
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Claim 4: “Washington Post reporter Drew Harwell posted screenshots that pointed out near-identical paragraphs in the two stories.”
CORROBORATED
Reports confirm that Drew Harwell of The Washington Post posted screenshots on X (formerly Twitter) showing near-identical paragraphs between his story and Barkan's.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — On Thursday morning, Drew Harwell of The Washington Post took a pair of screenshots and posted them on X. Included in the screenshots were the ledes for stories both he and New York Magazine wrote cov…
https://www.mediaite.com/media/ny-magazine-revises-daily-wir…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — When this was pointed out on social media, the magazine updated Barkan's story to directly quote the Post writer, Drew Harwell, whose opening paragraphs Barkan lifted nearly wholesale.
https://www.npr.org/2026/05/17/nx-s1-5824503/new-york-magazi…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Police, Post reporter differ on frisking incident at Pence rally.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/
info
Claim 5: “the magazine revised the first paragraph of Barkan’s article to include a direct mention of the WaPo reporter and included an editor’s note at the bottom.”
SINGLE SOURCE
NPR reports that the magazine updated the story to directly quote Drew Harwell after the plagiarism was pointed out on social media.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Ross Elliot Barkan is an American journalist, novelist, and essayist.Author. [edit]. Barkan has published fiction in Post Road, Boston College's literary magazine,[24][25] and literary criticism in th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Barkan
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Matthew Schmitz, the editor of Compact Magazine, wrote on X condemning what he described as Barkan's "heavily plagiarized" article, saying he has called on the magazine to address the pilfered section…
https://www.weaa.org/2026-05-17/new-york-magazine-reviewing-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — New York Magazine columnist Ross Barkan has been accused of "heavily" plagiarizing a report, just days after a Washington Post reporter called him out.
https://www.mediaite.com/media/new-york-magazine-writer-accu…
info
Claim 6: ““We are conducting a review of the writer’s prior work,” a spokesperson for the mag, Lauren Starke, told The Post.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided search results for 'Lauren' returned unrelated results (Ralph Lauren, Dr. Lauren Lawrence) and did not contain the specific quote from spokesperson Lauren Starke.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Shop Ralph Lauren's designer clothing for men, women, kids & babies, plus accessories and home furnishings. Free Shipping With an RL Account & Free Returns.
https://www.ralphlauren.com/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Shop Lauren Ralph Lauren women's clothing & accessories to discover dresses, shirts, handbags, and more. Free Shipping With an RL Account & Free Returns.
https://www.ralphlauren.com/brands-lauren
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Dr. Lauren Lawrence is an Otolaryngologist at Vancouver Clinic in Vancouver, WA. She provides medical and surgical care for patients of all ages.
https://www.tvc.org/clinician/lauren-lawrence-md/
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Claim 7: “New York Magazine is reviewing past articles from one of its columnists just days after he was hit with plagiarism allegations.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources, including NPR and another news report, confirm that New York Magazine is reviewing the past work of Ross Barkan following plagiarism allegations.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Ross Elliot Barkan is an American journalist, novelist, and essayist.Barkan was a columnist for The Guardian and a columnist for Jacobin magazine.[17][19] He is a contributor to The Nation.[20]. In 20…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Barkan
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — New York Magazine reviewing work of writer facing plagiarism allegations.New York magazine is examining the past work of one of its writers who has been accused of plagiarism after publishing at least…
https://www.npr.org/2026/05/17/nx-s1-5824503/new-york-magazi…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — New York Magazine columnist Ross Barkan has been accused of "heavily" plagiarizing a report, just days after a Washington Post reporter called him out.
https://www.mediaite.com/media/new-york-magazine-writer-accu…
info
Claim 8: “an NPR reporter said he had subsequently uncovered two other examples of Barkan allegedly “pilfering” from other writers from the Intercept and Compact Magazine after running his past work through an AI model.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the provided evidence mentions Matthew Schmitz of Compact Magazine condemning the plagiarism on X, the specific detail about an NPR reporter using an AI model to find two other examples is not explicitly detailed in the provided snippets, though the general context of multiple plagiarized articles is present.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. [2] It serves as a national sy…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/NPR
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Top stories in the U.S. and world news, politics, health, science, business, music, arts and culture. Nonprofit journalism with a mission. This is NPR.
https://www.npr.org/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — KUOW is Seattle’s NPR news station. We are an independent, nonprofit news organization that produces award-winning journalism, innovative podcasts, engaging community events, and more.
https://www.kuow.org/
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.