 According to left-wing NACLA magazine, Anderson's coverage of Hugo Chávez and Venezuela is rife with errors and distortions.The son of Joy Anderson, a children's book author and University of Florida professor, and of John Anderson, a diplomat and agricultural adviser for USAID and the Peace Corps, Anderson was raised and educated in South Korea, Colombia, Taiwan, Indonesia, Liberia, England, and the United States.His brother is Scott Anderson, a novelist and journalist, and they have co-authored two books.