Ruth Shalit Barrett[1] (/ʃəˈliːt/; born 1971[citation needed]) is an American freelance writer and journalist whose articles have appeared in The New Republic, The Wall Street Journal, ELLE, New York Magazine and The Atlantic.

[6] In 2020, The Atlantic retracted an article she wrote (involving Connecticut parents trying to get their children into Ivy League schools through athletic spots) after it emerged that she had encouraged a source to lie to the magazine's fact-checking department.

The article, published online in October 2020 and in print in November 2020, talked about efforts of affluent residents of the Gold Coast of Connecticut to use niche sports to give their already-privileged children further advantages in the competitive admissions process at elite colleges and universities.

After questions were raised by The Washington Post's media critic, Erik Wemple,[17] the magazine appended several corrections to the online version, along with a lengthy editor's note.

The judge noted that The Atlantic's confidentiality obligations were insufficient to support her claims and that her allegations of harm were too generalized, lacking evidence of tangible losses such as missed writing opportunities.

These claims assert that The Atlantic falsely portrayed her as dishonest, alleging that she misled editors and fact-checkers, fabricated details, and had previously engaged in journalistic malpractice.