Nicola has been teaching in the Journalism Media and Communications program since 2000. Prior to joining UTAS she worked as a journalist and social historian. As a journalist she has covered general news, politics, union rounds, courts, sport, features and the arts. As the youngest section editor of a capital city daily in Australia she initiated the demise of the Mercury 's social pages and survived to develop the women's features pages. She has also worked as a history editor for various publications. Her interest in social history has led to the publication of several social history books, and for the past decade she has been the ABC Radio Tasmania's social historian.
Her most recent book, is a textbook for journalism, media and communication students: Media and Journalism: A User's Guide to Theory and Practice, with Dr Jason Bainbridge and Ms Liz Tynan, which was published by Oxford University Press in 2008.  She is currently writing a book on  infanticide and the press 1822-1922.