[8] She covered the story of deceased University of Virginia student Otto Warmbier, who was released from imprisonment in North Korea through diplomatic efforts by the Department of State in the Trump Administration.

Interviewing numerous people who have met Kim Jong-un, Fifield has sought to show through reporting that he is not a cartoon villain or a joke, but a ruthless dictator operating strategically, even if that strategy involves killing his own uncle and half-brother in order to stay in power.

Fifield's book The Great Successor: The Perfectly Divine Destiny of Brilliant Comrade Kim Jong Un, was published in June 2019, and has since been translated into 24 languages.

[2] "Fifield exemplifies how crucial it is to get the complexities of Asia right and the profound role of journalism in shaping public and decision maker approaches to our counterparts in the region," the university said.

[12] After covering the coronavirus epidemic, Fifield returned to New Zealand in 2020, and in July became the editor of The Dominion Post and Stuff's Wellington newsroom.