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Samantha Fields

Senior Reporter

SHORT BIO

Samantha Fields is a senior reporter at Marketplace.

She’s particularly interested in how the economy affects people’s everyday lives, and a lot of her coverage focuses on economic inequality, housing and climate change.

She’s also reported and produced for WCAI and The GroundTruth Project, the “NPR Politics Podcast,” NPR’s midday show, “Here & Now,” Vermont Public Radio and Maine Public Radio. She got her start in journalism as a reporter for a community paper, The Wellesley Townsman, and her start in radio as an intern and freelance producer at “The Takeaway” at WNYC. She is a graduate of Wellesley College and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Latest Stories (526)

The pandemic drove people to buy more online, and some of those buying habits are sticking

Mar 17, 2022
One retail category that remains popular: buying groceries online, something many people had not tried before the pandemic.
Online shopping has surged during the pandemic, according to data from Adobe, But inflation accounts for a significant portion of that growth.
David Dee Delgado/Getty Images

February was another disappointment for retail sales

Mar 16, 2022
They've been up and down like a bouncing ball for the past few months.
Not adjusting for inflation, retail sales in February were up just 0.3% over January. Factoring in inflation, they were actually down.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

Why are California's gas prices so high?

Mar 15, 2022
There are several reasons. For one, the state is highly dependent on foreign crude oil.
California has always been among the priciest places for a gallon of gas in the U.S. Among the reasons are the state's higher taxes and environmental standards.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

How to make sure your Ukraine donations make it to the people who need it

Mar 8, 2022
Donating requires some due diligence, especially when it comes to social media.
As the number of refugees from Ukraine increases, so does aid, and so do aid scams. Above, charity workers and volunteers in New Jersey pack boxes with humanitarian donations to be shipped to Ukraine.
Angela Weiss/AFP Getty Images
The sun sets behind smoke rising from a refining plant in Houston.
Mark Felix/AFP via Getty Images

There's an oil market crisis even without sanctions on Russian exports

Mar 2, 2022
Brent crude rose above $113 a barrel Wednesday — the highest level in eight years.
Though oil prices have reached the highest levels in eight years, OPEC+ is choosing not to ramp up production.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

Facebook, TikTok and YouTube ban Russian state media channels

Mar 1, 2022
The bans follow Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Social media platforms have often resisted calls to restrict controversial content.
A van owned by the RT broadcast network in Moscow. Social media platforms have banned content from Russian state-owned media channels, including RT, in Europe.
Mladen Antonov/AFP via Getty Images

Travel bookings tick upward as omicron recedes

Feb 21, 2022
People also appear to be booking ahead more often, seen as a sign of renewed optimism.
Passengers wait at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Virginia over Presidents Day weekend. The TSA screened more than 2 million people on Friday and Sunday.
Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images

Twitter CEO paternity leave draws range of reactions

Feb 18, 2022
Less than a quarter of people in the U.S. work for companies that offer paid parental leave. Even fewer offer paid paternity leave.
Paternal leave faces stigma in the U.S., but it might only take a few high-profile fathers to change that.
Getty Images
The gap between women and men quitting is widest in states with the most COVID-related child care disruptions.
Gareth Copley/Getty Images