Stephanie Hughes

Senior Reporter

SHORT BIO

Stephanie Hughes is a senior reporter at Marketplace. She’s focused on education and the economy, and lives in Brooklyn.

She's reported on topics including the effectiveness of technology used by schools to prevent violence, startups that translate global climate data for homebuyers, and why theater majors are getting jobs writing for chatbots.

Previously, she worked as a producer for Bloomberg, where she covered finance, technology, and economics. Before that, she worked as the senior producer for “Maryland Morning,” broadcast on WYPR, the NPR affiliate in Baltimore. She’s also reported for other media outlets, including NPR’s “Morning Edition,” “All Things Considered,” “The Takeaway,” and Salon.

At WYPR, she helped produce the year-long, multi-platform series “The Lines Between Us,” which won a 2014 duPont-Columbia Award. She’s also interested in using crowdsourcing to create online projects, such as this interactive map of flags around Maryland, made from listener contributions.

A native of southern Delaware, Stephanie graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in communications, studying at the Annenberg School. Before she found her way to radio, she worked in the children’s division of the publishing house Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.

Latest Stories (476)

The hidden costs of wildfires go beyond putting them out

Jun 9, 2023
Where there’s smoke, there’s a massive increase in costs for health care, commerce, and productivity.
People wear face masks as they arrive to Newark Liberty International Airport amid hazy conditions due to smoke from Canadian wildfires.
Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images

More wildfires mean worsening air quality. How do we adapt?

Jun 8, 2023
Some pandemic-related tools get a second life, while investors look at more high-tech solutions.
A person wears a face mask as smoke from Canada wildfires blankets Manhattan on June 7, 2023 in New York City.
David Dee Delgado/Getty Images

30 years ago, Prince changed the way artists negotiate with the music industry

Jun 7, 2023
By changing his name to a symbol, Prince changed how musicians negotiate with record labels.
Prince performs during Super Bowl XLI. The rock star in 1993 changed his name to a symbol, setting the stage for how musicians negotiate with record labels.
Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Crypto giant Binance in hot water with U.S. regulators. What's next?

Jun 6, 2023
The world’s largest crypto exchange is being sued by the SEC. What does that mean for crypto?
The world's largest crypto exchange platform has been sued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over allegations of financial misconduct.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

People over 55 are more glum about the economy, consumer survey says

May 30, 2023
People in that age group have less time left to earn or save money for retirement and have had more time to accrue debt.
In some ways, how you feel about the economy in your 60s and 70s depends on how things went in earlier decades. 
Chainarong Prasertthai/Getty Images

4 of 5 “prime age” people are in workforce, highest since 2001

May 29, 2023
The ratio covers people 25 to 54 years old. The strong participation means employers looking to hire may have a hard time finding workers.
With the labor market still hot, industries like hospitality and retail may struggle to attract workers unless they boost wages.
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

Schools on front lines as Surgeon General warns about social media use

May 26, 2023
Educators are grappling with the consequences of "almost constant" social media usage by a significant number of teenagers.
Loic Venance/AFP via Getty Images

After high school years interrupted by COVID, students calculate the cost of college differently

May 25, 2023
This spring, there were 14.2 million undergraduates in the U.S., about 9% fewer than in spring 2019.
This spring, there were 9% fewer undergraduate students in the U.S. than there were in spring 2019.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Sausage-makers, breadwinners?

May 24, 2023
Enrollment in 2-year culinary programs was up nearly 10 percent this spring from last year. This comes as employment for chefs and head cooks is expected to grow quickly.
Enrollment in 2-year culinary programs jumped nearly 10% in a year, according to new data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
Getty Images

If ESPN goes to streaming, what happens to cable?

May 19, 2023
Leaders at Disney, which owns ESPN, say it’s an inevitability that the cable channel will migrate to streaming. Such a move would shake up the cable industry.
The CEO of Disney, which owns ESPN, has called the migration of ESPN to streaming “an inevitability.” Above, ESPN College Gameday hosts in 2020.
Matt Cashore-Pool/Getty Images