Feature Reporting (Radio)
Stephanie Hughes is a senior reporter for the national public radio show Marketplace. Her features have examined the effectiveness of technology used by schools to prevent gun violence, Baltimore’s thousands of vacant homes, and why virtual reality has yet to take off as a medium.
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Schools spend billions on security measures. But which ones are effective?
Schools are spending billions on security in an effort to prevent violence. Some schools are turning to artificial intelligence software to detect whether a person is holding a gun. But there isn’t much evidence that these measures are actually effective.
Reported piece, broadcast November 21, 2019.
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Tough Choices in Baltimore Housing Cleanup
Baltimore implemented a plan to clean up the city’s thousands of abandoned houses in 2010. The strategy requires government officials to make hard choices about which neighborhoods are worth saving—and which are not.
Reported piece, broadcast November 27, 2012.
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What needs to happen for movies to work in virtual reality?
We’ve been promised virtual reality movies for decades. But watching films in VR still requires clunky and expensive technology, and at the Tribeca Film Festival, there’s even a person to make sure audience members don’t walk into walls.
Reported piece, broadcast May 1, 2019.
News Reporting (Radio)
Stephanie thrives under deadline. At Marketplace, when she’s reporting on the day’s news, she’ll pitch ideas in the morning, be given an assignment, and then report and write the story for that day’s show. Her work has examined the risks of using company computers for personal matters, how startups have formed remotely during the pandemic, and why we’ve embraced voice technology while at home.
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Could the lessons of the pandemic be a boon to workers with disabilities?
Video conferencing and auto-captioning became common during the pandemic—and were very useful for workers with disabilities. Now, returning to offices gives employers a chance to improve accessibility for everyone.
Published August 26, 2021.
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Mixing work and play on a company computer comes with risks
After being stuck at home for months, it's tempting to use your work laptop for fun. But your employer may be watching.
Published August 24, 2021.
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Print Reporting
Stephanie's written stories for The New York Times, Salon, and Marketplace. Her work ranges from the extreme requirements employers place on nannies to the wildly different language used by states to describe crimes of rape and sexual assault.
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Nannies Wanted: Covid-19 Antibodies Preferred
Many parents are struggling to balance work and child care as the Covid-19 pandemic drags on. Some families are hiring nannies, but are specifically looking for caregivers who’ve already had the virus. Other parents want nannies who are willing to move in or have teaching experience. Domestic workers already have fewer legal protections than much of the America workforce, and these new demands are creating additional pressure.
Published July 13, 2020.
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When the Law Won’t Call it Rape
The language used by different states to describe crimes of rape and sexual assault can vary wildly. 25 states and the District of Columbia have stopped using the word “rape” in their criminal codes entirely, using terms such as “criminal sexual conduct” and “sexual abuse” instead. This makes it difficult for us as a society to develop a shared understanding of what rape actually is.
Published January 26, 2013.
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At UN Climate Summit, both anger and need for money are palpable
At the United Nations climate summit, young activist Greta Thunberg shames delegates for their inaction on climate change. Will the message provide a wake up call?
Published September 23, 2019.
Podcasts
Stephanie has reported for narrative podcasts including The Uncertain Hour, This Is Uncomfortable, and The Life of the Law. She also led the relaunch of the Marketplace Tech podcast, helping to shape its sound and increasing audience growth.
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My Boss is an App
One of the big promises of the gig economy is that it increases efficiency. Amazon, Uber, and Instacart all rely on gig workers to move groceries, packages, and people from place to place. But when those workers have apps for bosses, it’s anything but efficient. Reported piece, released on podcast March 24, 2021.
Reported piece, released on podcast March 24, 2021.
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When Your Life Depends on It
When dealing with a rare disease, doctors don’t always know the best course of action. Often, the onus falls on the patient to make difficult choices. When money is involved, those choices become even harder.
Reported piece, released on podcast November 21, 2019.
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Redefining Rape
Most of us have an idea of what the crime of rape is. But the legal meaning of the word varies widely, depending on which state you’re in. In 25 states, what we may think of as rape is called something else. Those differences have an impact on how we as a society conceive of sexual attacks.
Reported piece, released on podcast July 9, 2013.
Produced Interviews and Features
Stephanie has years of experience in radio production, for public radio shows like Marketplace and private media outlets like Bloomberg. She's produced hundreds of interviews with newsmakers such as Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Senator Elizabeth Warren, and Nobel Prize-winning physicist Adam Riess. She's also led field reporting trips, found sources, and crafted host features.
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Elizabeth Warren: “Equifax may actually make money off this breach”
Over 100 million customers had their personal information leaked when the credit-rating agency Equifax was hacked. Senator Elizabeth Warren says there needs to be penalties for allowing this to happen.
Produced interview, broadcast February 28, 2018.
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Supernova Provides Window to the Early Universe
Astronomers at Johns Hopkins have discovered a supernova that exploded 10 billion years ago, the oldest ever spotted. The supernova could give us insights into how the early universe functioned, says team leader and Nobel laureate Adam Riess.
Produced interview, broadcast May 6, 2013.
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With all of Silicon Valley’s startup money, where’s the investment in climate tech?
The venture capital community is flush with funds, but it's more inclined to back software and apps than innovative technology to fight climate change
Produced feature, broadcast September 19, 2019.