"There really is nothing wrong with having to work a little to understand an idea..."

Yes there is, in this case.  Because having people "work a little" means you've put up a barrier to easy understanding. And that's the same as putting up a barrier to good communication.  Maybe not so much to her peers because they presumably speak the same lingo as she does...but, this isn't an academic journal, R.  It's a mainstream newspaper. 

That means she's either talking to the wrong audience or using the wrong language.  I'm easy: take your pick.