Nate Silver‘s data site FiveThirtyEight.com has improved its faulty science coverage in one single master stroke: It has hired the widely respected and admired science writer Christie Aschwanden.
Silver, justly acclaimed for his analysis of election data, has not shown the same skillfulness in his coverage of science. He hired an academic economist to be his principal science writer, and, as I’ve reported here and here, that site has made some unfortunate errors. Aschwanden, an energetic freelancer who has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, and many others, will not make those mistakes.
Aschwanden, who will be an almost-full-time staff reporter, said in an email, “I’m thrilled for this opportunity to build FiveThirtyEight’s science coverage.”
She began building it last night, with posts on state ballot initiatives on fracking and GMOs.
Aschwanden says she will remain in Colorado, except for short stints in FiveThirtyEight’s New York offices.
I’m looking forward to her copy.
-Paul Raeburn
Great move by Nate Silver. Congratulations to Christie.