I am Steven Hsieh, a freelance journalist. I used to write for alternative weekly newspapers in Santa Fe and Phoenix. I also served as news editor for The Stranger in Seattle. In addition to writing, I also co-own a small farm on an island in Puget Sound.
I've reported on:
English holly, an invasive species in the Pacific Northwest. Farmers specializing in the plant have successfully shielded it from regulations. (High Country News, 2023)
The Koch network's previously undisclosed shadow campaign to kill light rail in Phoenix. (Phoenix New Times, 2019)
Arizona's unsanctioned leveling of native antiquities sites, contributing to a park administrator's firing. (Phoenix New Times, 2018)
An Arizona state representative's buried child sex crime charges, leading to his resignation. (Phoenix New Times, 2019)
A mayoral race in Seattle. (The Stranger, 2017)
Patterns in juvenile arrests, as part of a package I edited on a debate in Seattle over the construction of a new youth jail. (The Stranger, 2017)
How Santa Fe police officers ignored a city ordinance decriminalizing marijuana. (Santa Fe Reporter, 2016)
Public defenders — citing unsustainable caseloads — refusing to represent misdemeanor clients in St. Louis. (Pacific Standard, 2015)
A police union head's incendiary Facebook posts, leading to an internal investigation. He resigned six months later. (Santa Fe Reporter, 2017)
The Pojoaque Pueblo's dispute with the state of New Mexico over the tribe's cut of gaming revenue. (Santa Fe Reporter, 2016)
A historic Chinese restaurant in Santa Fe. (Santa Fe Reporter, 2017)
Young black St. Louisans who became involved in activism after the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson. (The Nation, 2014)
A radioactive landfill in St. Louis. (Rolling Stone, 2013)
You can reach me at stevenjhsieh@gmail.com