Penfold began her career in radio, working for
Radio New Zealand and
The Radio Network for eight years, before moving into television with
TVNZ in 1998. She then moved to
TV3 in 2003 and spent the next 13 years working in current affairs across
60 Minutes, 3rd Degree and 3D. At 3D she spent three years investigating the wrongful conviction of Teina Pora, who spent 21 years in jail for the rape and murder of Auckland woman Susan Burdett in 1994. Her stories contributed significantly to the eventual quashing of his conviction and a $2.5 million payout from the
Crown. 3D was cancelled by TV3 in 2016 and Penfold moved to
Fairfax, establishing the long-form documentary investigative unit Stuff Circuit with two of her former colleagues. She was named 'Reporter of the Year' at the 2019
New Zealand Television Awards. ==
Stuff Circuit documentaries ==