Ex-New York Magazine writer takes break after plagiarism scandal involving 67 columns

In the long tradition of journalism's reckoning with its own standards, Ross Barkan — a prolific columnist who had contributed nearly 250 pieces to New York Magazine — has stepped back from his work following an independent review that found improper attribution across 67 of his columns. The magazine severed ties and began correcting its archives, while Barkan, who initially dismissed the accusations, ultimately offered a more contrite apology, attributing the lapses to the pressures of high-volume writing rather than deliberate intent. It is a familiar human story: ambition and output outpaci