Intelligently communicating complex topics to the masses is a valuable skill in itself. She gains a lot of credibility with her humble attitude and willingness to admit what she does not know.
She opines on a lot of things she has very little knowledge about and her writing style is terrible. But it’s crack for HN readers who mistake skepticisms and snark for insight.
Hossenfelder has been in Physics for more than 25 years and is a seasoned researcher and communicator. Her “academic rank” shouldn’t and in fact doesn’t have any bearing on her impact.