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 (507)

Walmart to charge transportation fees to some suppliers

Jul 6, 2022
The retailer says it's part of an effort to keep prices low for customers. That can be hard to do in the long term.
The fees Walmart charges will eventually be passed on to consumers.
George Frey/Getty Images

Current economic moment could spell "catastrophe for retailers"

Jul 1, 2022
With rising prices, ongoing supply chain issues and the wrong inventory, it's a rough time to be a big-box store.
Kohl's had been in negotiations to be bought by the Franchise Group but decided to end those talks. It's part of an industry that's struggling with difficult conditions.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

More health care workers will be able to provide abortions under a new Maryland law

Jun 29, 2022
Maryland is one of 19 states expanding access to abortion by widening the circle of providers, including physician assistants and nurse practitioners.
In addition to allowing qualified health care workers to perform abortions, Maryland's new law also provides $3.5 million a year to train abortion providers.
Nic Coury/AFP via Getty Images

Homebuyers will still pay a premium to live in a good school district — even in a hot market

Jun 21, 2022
Real estate experts say buying in a desirable district benefits non-parents too.
In some markets, buyers are paying thousands over asking price to be close to the school of their choice.
Jon Cherry/Getty Images

Summer school is increasingly important for students, but where are the teachers?

Jun 20, 2022
With many teachers exhausted by the demands of the pandemic, it's harder for school districts to recruit them for summer work.
Summer school programs can be helpful for students whose education was disrupted by COVID. But finding educators willing to work this summer is easier said than done.
Jon Cherry/Getty Images

Schools' creditworthiness could be challenged by new costs, report says

Jun 16, 2022
Teachers demanding higher pay is one example of new costs. That could make it harder for schools to borrow money, a new report says.
For large investments, schools can turn to the debt markets to raise money. But they're also facing rising costs, which could hurt their ability to borrow.
Jon Cherry/Getty Images

Department of Education appoints its first chief economist

Jun 15, 2022
The agency said it’s part of bringing a more data-based approach to policymaking.
The Department of Education recently announced that Jordan Matsudaira will be the first chief economist in its 43-year history.
Alastair Pike/AFP via Getty Images

After Uvalde, schools focus on the need for more security

Jun 15, 2022
School security is an estimated $3 billion industry, including things like training, armed officers, and video cameras. But there’s little evidence on what’s actually effective.
Above, a school security guard observes a school board meeting in Pennsylvania. While heightened school security measures are palatable for some parents, they're a worry for others.
Kylie Cooper/AFP via Getty Images

Virtual school evolves, even as the pandemic wanes

Jun 7, 2022
What once was a necessity is now an expanding educational frontier.
Virtual learning used to be less dynamic, with students and teachers accessing materials at different times. The pandemic changed that.
Jon Cherry/Getty Images

Historically Black school enrollment is rising, propelled by the Black Lives Matter movement

Jun 3, 2022
Many HBCUs were established in the years following the Civil War to educate Black people. Now, many are seeing an increase in applications.
Morgan State's freshman class nearly doubled last fall from the previous years. Above, students walk through the Baltimore campus in May.
Stephanie Hughes/Marketplace