New York Magazine fired Ross Barkan after 67 columns lacked attribution. The NYT contributor had a book deal on Mayor Mamdani, his former campaign manager.
Alpha Score of 42 reflects weak overall profile with weak momentum, poor value, moderate quality, weak sentiment.
New York Magazine fired political writer Ross Barkan after an internal review found 67 columns that lacked proper attribution, the publication told the New York Post. The review started when a Washington Post reporter noticed close parallels between the lead of one Barkan story and the lead he wrote about the same subject in May.
"We have determined that we will no longer publish his column," New York Magazine said in a statement. The publication said it updated the affected pieces with proper sourcing and apologized to the original writers.
Barkan, a vocal supporter of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, had bylines in the New York Times and a book on Mamdani under contract. Before taking office, Mamdani managed Barkan's failed 2018 state senate campaign in Queens, a connection Barkan often highlighted in his writing.
NPR uncovered additional plagiarism allegations after the Post reporter flagged the initial case, drawing a heated denial from Barkan.
The writer acknowledged the errors in a statement to the Post. "In the course of nearly 250 pieces, there were times I should have been more careful with my citation," he said. "I'm sorry about these errors and will work to do better."
He also noted he is writing a new column for The Nation. The Post has asked The Nation whether it will keep him on staff. Barkan has previously written for the New York Times and published both fiction and nonfiction books.
The incident puts a spotlight on editorial oversight at outlets that publish opinion writers with overlapping political and personal relationships. For New York Times Co. (NYSE: NYT), the risk is modest but real. One freelance contributor's misconduct does not move financial targets or advertising revenue. But in a media environment where every editorial lapse circulates widely, brand trust carries a premium.
The company's Alpha Score sits at 42 out of 100, a Mixed rating in the Communication Services sector. Larger concerns remain digital subscription growth and ad trends. The next quarterly earnings call will show whether management sees this kind of episode as a systems problem or an isolated case.
Drafted by a large language model from the source reporting linked above, then screened by automated publishing checks. It is not read by a journalist before publication. Some articles cite our Alpha Score. Verify prices and figures against the original source. Educational coverage, not personalized advice.