I have less than great communications skills but have had great experience pairing with people who have good skills. Eg to give corporate seminars we both go onstage and the partner will structure the talk and interrupt me/clarify if I blur over something/watch for the audience’s reaction.

As a parallel, maybe journalists should pair with subject matter people (even subject matter generalists) rather than have them as “sources”. There are of course people who are great at both things (your Nate Silvers) but the whole process might be cheaper and more efficient if, gee, the New York Times would have a couple onstaff PhD economists (not star columnists) that sit in the newsroom trying to give shape to the facts about to be reported, side by side with journalists.