At a time when the public is increasingly cynical about politics and politicians, it is not surprising that the public's view of journalists is also continuing on a downhill slide. Perceiving journalists as part of the political 'elite', the public is turning away from traditional news formats and looking for light-hearted 'infotainment' as a substitute. Journalist Margaret Simons' latest work is prompted by a recognition of these trends, as she delves into the elite underworld of the Canberra press gallery. Formerly a daily press journalist and currently writing for The Australian and the great independent monthly magazine Eureka St, Simons has presented the life and routines of the press gallery from both an insider's and outsider's perspective.