Steven Hsieh

Steven Hsieh

謝章仁

Writer and researcher.

I worked as a journalist for more than ten years at The Nation, Santa Fe Reporter, Phoenix New Times, and The Stranger. My work has also been featured in VICE News, Rolling Stone, Pacific Standard, and High Country News.

I am currently transitioning to a career in AI safety, with a focus on public education and writing for a general audience, through the AI Safety Awareness Program. I also dabble in mechanistic interpretability.

I co-own a small vegetable farm with my partner. We live on Vashon Island with our child and cat.

Steven Hsieh

Journalism

Selected articles

Investigation: The Koch Network's Anti-Transit Astroturfing

Using leaked documents and interviews, I revealed how a dark-money group architected a referendum to kill a planned light rail project, despite previous denials of involvement. For Phoenix New Times.

Investigation: David Stringer Child Sex Charge Revelations

Acting on an anonymous tip, I worked with another journalist to expose an Arizona state representative's buried child pornography charges, which set off a series of events that led to his resignation. For Phoenix New Times.

Investigation: Antiquities Destruction at Arizona Parks

A series of stories on malfeasance at the Arizona Parks Department under former director Sue Black. The most serious revelations involved Black ordering the destruction of Native American archaeological sites during a development blitz. My work led to Black's firing. For Phoenix New Times.

Feature: Invasive English Holly in Washington State

My interest was piqued by a holly grower who used his seat on a noxious-weed board to stymie control of his invasive cash crop.

Investigation: Public Defenders in Saint Louis

Using court records, I showed how a move by the Saint Louis public defender's office to quietly exclude misdemeanor clients from its services led scores of such defendants to plead guilty without counsel. For Pacific Standard.

Spot Coverage: Ferguson Protests

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All photographs by Steven Hsieh

Farm

In 2021, my partner and I leased an acre of land on Vashon Island and started Tian Tian Farm. We focus on Asian-heritage vegetables. During our first four seasons, we sold our produce through Seattle-area farmers markets and a 50-member Community Supported Agriculture program. At the end of 2024, I scaled back my involvement with the farm, though I remain co-owner. More at tiantian.farm.