Incorrect. The speed of light varies depending on what medium it's moving through. That's why we get fun things like refraction and Cerenkov radiation. I wouldn't expect a New York Times writer to know that, of course, it's fairly advanced middle school and high school science.
Shoot, I just dumped all over Michael Crichton without even realizing it. Still, I'm sure he learned about this stuff at some point pursuing his MD....
I believe the writer left off three important words that are usually used, "in a vacuum."