Until someone makes a good movie about blogging, I'm guessing print journalism still has ink in its veins.

Somehow, I don't think audiences are clamoring for a movie with a hero sitting alone, staring at a computer screen until inspiration strikes, usually when someone else's legwork pops up during a Web search. The only subject less likely to reach a theater near you is Twitter: The Movie.

Tonight I'll see State of Play, another Hollywood take on the newspaper business, starring Russell Crowe as a typically (in movies, at least) disheveled and jaded reporter. Next Monday it's The Soloist, starring Robert Downey Jr. as a typically (in movies, at least) self-absorbed reporter changed for the better when he gets too close to a heart-tugging story.

Which got me thinking about the best and worst movie representations of print journalism, since from their outlines State of Play and The Soloist can go either way. 

The best:
Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein (Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman) in All the President’s Men -- The gold standard for investigative journalists, and a movie that inspired a lot of careers.

Hildy Johnson (Rosalind Russell) in His Girl Friday -- Not even true love comes between her and a good story.

Henry Hackett (Michael Keaton) in The Paper -- Ready to literally fight tooth and nail against cutbacks (in 1994!) while printing presses grind dangerously close.

Gray Grantham (Denzel Washington) in The Pelican Brief -- Masterful note-taker who can even keep a John Grisham plot straight.

Ed Hutcheson (Humphrey Bogart) in Deadline USA -- Brings down a mobster with only three days left before his newspaper swaps crusading journalism for profitable sensationalism (in 1952!).

Ernie Souchak (John Belushi) in Continental Divide -- Pulls off the same expose as Ed Hutcheson ... while on vacation!

Arnie Klein (Alan Arkin) in Marley & Me -- The kind of crankily joking yet humanist editor that's fun to take orders from.

Sydney Schanberg (Sam Waterston) in The Killing Fields -- Defying death to get the story of Cambodia's civil war, yet loyal enough to return for a friend.

Sam Gatlin (Jack Webb) in -30- -- Want a daily newspaper published? Joe Friday's the man. Just the facts, ma'am.

The worst:

These fit into four categories of basic no-nos for journalists:

Fabricating the story: Stephen Glass (Hayden Christensen) in Shattered Glass; Ann Mitchell (Barbara Stanwyck) in Meet John Doe

Becoming the story: Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles) in Citizen Kane; Malcolm Anderson (Kurt Russell) in The Mean Season

Fudging the story: Megan Carter (Sally Field) in Absence of Malice; Chuck Tatum (Kirk Douglas) in Ace in the Hole

Misrepresenting yourself as something other than a reporter: Josie Geller (Drew Barrymore) in Never Been Kissed; Irwin “Fletch” Fletcher (Chevy Chase) in Fletch; Amy Archer (Jennifer Jason Leigh) in The Hudsucker Proxy