Steve Berg, who was not writing for the paper during the review, will return to writing Jan. 2, editorial page editor Susan Albright wrote in early editions of Sunday's newspaper.

The review of a year's worth of Berg's work found only the two "improper and unfortunate" instances of "nonattribution," Albright wrote.

"At the same time, we discerned no intent to deceive on the part of Berg, and his performance over 30 years has otherwise been exemplary."

The Twin Cities-based conservative blog Power Line, which has long accused the paper of having a liberal bias, had pointed out the similarities between Star Tribune editorials that ran Nov. 10 and March 27 and commentaries by The New Yorker's Hendrik Hertzberg.

For example, the Nov. 10 newspaper editorial included phrasing similar to a Nov. 6 New Yorker piece criticizing President Bush and the Republican Congress.

Albright had said Berg took notes on the Hertzberg piece and planned to attribute the material to him, but later failed to distinguish which parts were direct quotes and which were paraphrased ideas.

Power Line also brought to the paper's attention a March 27 Star Tribune editorial on electoral college reform that struck many of the same themes as a dMarch 6 Hertzberg piece.

Berg said Saturday that the problems with attribution were minor.

"Reacting to a right-wing blog, the newspaper found unintentional insufficient attribution in a fraction of 1 percent of my work," Berg said. "I'll put that up against anybody."

Telephone messages left Saturday for Albright at the Star Tribune were not immediately returned.

An e-mail sent to The New Yorker's media relations department Saturday afternoon was not immediately returned.