# Press Gazette and the end of ‘Barbara Santini’

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/media-confidential-6620203/press-gazette-and-the-end-of-barbara-santini
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/media-confidential-6620203/press-gazette-and-the-end-of-barbara-santini.md
Podcast: [Media Confidential](https://stenobird.com/podcast/media-confidential-6620203)
Published: 2026-04-27T01:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://shows.acast.com/media-confidential/episodes/dominic-ponsford
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/650ac5ba0434d000118468a9/e/69ea5849d2febdbec92c4495/media.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/media-confidential-6620203/episodes/press-gazette-and-the-end-of-barbara-santini
Duration seconds: 1917

## Resource

On today’s Media Confidential, Alan and Lionel are joined by Press Gazette editor Dominic Ponsford to discuss the magazine’s investigative work into the floods of fake experts being quoted in the media. Where do they come from—and who is behind this? The editors discuss journalist Rob Waugh, who helped uncover the truth behind fake or AI-generated experts including “Barbara Santini” and “Esme Gelder”. And they examine cases that made it all the way to the papers, without anyone blinking an eye. Is this the inevitable future of “churnalism”, or can we protect against it? Plus, the editors discuss the sinister practices of some PR companies. What’s an “SEO vampire”, anyway? Find out on Media Confidential . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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## Transcript

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