Coren graduated from Charles Sturt University's Bathurst campus in 1996 with a communications degree and spent time working for regional television networks Prime (12 months) and NBN (18 months). She was picked up by the Nine Network in 1999 and earned a spot as an on-camera reporter for National Nine News in early 2000. In 2002, she began presenting news updates and the National Nine Early Morning News.
Coren's career at the Seven Network began in December 2003, presenting late news updates and presenting the summer edition of Today Tonight in the place of Naomi Robson. She has since presented many one-off events such as Australia's Brainiest Kid, 2005 Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Royal Wedding Night with Seven and Zero Hour – The Bali Bombings. Her role at Seven also involved filling-in as news presenter with the morning news program Sunrise. Coren also presented Seven's factual series True Stories.
In 2005, Coren was appointed United States correspondent for Seven News replacing Mike Amor who returned to Australia to present Seven 4.30 News. In this role she appeared on the Global Notebook segment for Sunrise.
On 27 January 2007, Coren was appointed presenter of Today Tonight, replacing Naomi Robson who left the show on 1 December 2006. Her role as presenter of Today Tonight saw Coren become the frequent subject of satire by the presenters of the television show The Chaser's War on Everything.
In September 2008, Coren announced that she would be leaving Today Tonight to take up a position with CNN in Hong Kong. She was succeeded by Matthew White, with Coren presenting Today Tonight for the last time on 10 October 2008.
Coren received the 2011 and 2012 Asian Television Award for "Best News Presenter or Anchor" for her work on the CNN program World Report. In December 2013 Coren received her third Asian Television Award winning the prestigious 'Best News Story 10 minutes or less' for her powerful exclusive report 'Afghanistan Taliban Firefight'.
