If anything, I found it inspiring and a telling signal for a fickle media to tell real stories rather than make bogans famous.

State Of Play is set in the crammed newsroom of the Washington Globe, where the paper's star investigative reporter Cal McAffrey (played by Russell Crowe) sets himself the task of finding the link between two murders. One of which, was his long-time friend and congressman Stephen Collins' (played by Ben Affleck) lead researcher and mistress.

McAffrey is put on the story with young upstart/political blogger Della Frye (played by Rachel McAdams), who is the perfect foil to McAffrey. He embodies the traditional journalism of old with his reliance on tried and trusted contacts and his aversion to getting sidetracked. His car is even crammed with notepads - you won't see him twittering.

Crowe is an authentic McAffrey; he's persistent and scruffy but he has trouble keeping his friends and contacts separate. Frye, on the other hand, represents a new style of journo - she's keen, smart and as editor Cameron Lynne (played by Helen Mirren) says, she "churns out copy every hour''.

The two reporters grapple with each other's ways to handle the story and they prove to be a workable duo. There's a lot that Frye can learn from McAffrey and vice versa.

The thriller is doused with suspense, a particular chase in a carpark keeps you on the edge of your seat. McAffrey even ventures down alleyways and subways late at night, as well as a morgue, all as part of his fact-finding.

Perhaps if more reporters were like him, then US newspapers wouldn't be said to be dying at all.

See State Of Play at Greater Union, Campbelltown, the Dumaresq Street Cinema and United Cinemas, Narellan.

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