Podcast Summary

Podcast: Question Everything
Episode: "We Don't Hate Journalists Enough": The Story of an F-ed Up Deepfake
Host: Brian Reed
Producer/Reporter: Zach St. Louis
Date: November 13, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode investigates the increasingly hostile environment journalists face, focusing on the experiences of Argentinian journalist Julia Mengolini. Through Mengolini's harrowing story of being targeted by a malicious AI deepfake and a coordinated online harassment campaign, the show unpacks the complexities and implications of deepfake technology for press freedom, online abuse, and political power.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Ubiquity and Dangers of Deepfakes

• Introduction of Deepfake Technology

  • Zach St. Louis opens the episode discussing the viral “trampoline rabbit” TikTok video and a recent South Park episode that employed lifelike AI deepfakes for satire. (02:21–04:16)
  • Highlights both the harmless, entertaining use cases and the malicious potential: “Deepfakes are a new horrendous problem. Uncharted territory for disinformation.” (03:01)

• Deepfakes as a Tool of Harassment

  • Deepfakes' reach extends beyond celebrity or political targets, affecting everyday people, especially public figures and journalists.

2. Julia Mengolini: Journalist Under Attack

• Profile of Julia Mengolini

  • An established journalist in Argentina, co-founder of an independent radio network, known for openly criticizing President Javier Milei and championing progressive causes. (06:11–06:44)
  • “In Argentina everything is going to shit...I think that journalists have a mission to say what is happening.” –Julia Mengolini (06:44)

• Why She Was Targeted

  • Julia’s criticism of Milei’s character and policies, particularly her comment about his close relationship with his sister, leads to backlash from Milei’s right-wing supporters. (07:44–08:33)
  • “I think that that's probably why I am a target, to take down.” (10:17)

3. The Harassment Escalates

• Wave of Threats

  • Julia begins receiving hundreds of threats, including doxxing and violent death threats, some targeting her family. (10:58–11:48)
    • “Just like, ‘You're going to experience something very bad, something bad is going to happen to you.’”
    • “Do society a favor and kill yourself, bitch.” (11:18)

• Release of Deepfake Content

  • Julia discovers a doctored photo of her and her brother making out, spreading virally on Twitter, followed by a pornographic deepfake video distributed via direct messages and encrypted apps. (12:35–15:09)
  • Julia reflects: “I don't think that it was made for people to believe it...the goal was to mortify me.” (16:42)

• Psychological Impact

  • Julia describes the terror of potential public exposure, fearing her family’s reaction, and feeling unsafe even in public spaces. (19:51–22:15)
    • “If people in a restaurant, they look at me. I cannot be alone.” (21:36)
    • “I felt torture.” (22:34)

4. The State Responds—And Joins In

• Government Officials Amplify the Harassment

  • High-profile figures, including the President’s propagandist and party officials, publicly reference and spread the deepfake, escalating the attack. (25:43–27:31)
    • President Milei tweets about Julia 93 times in one weekend, retweeting the deepfake and using phrases like “we don't hate journalists enough.” (27:40)

• Press Freedom in Argentina

  • Since Milei's election, Argentina plummeted 47 places in the World Press Freedom Index. (28:47)
  • Record of Milei attacking, suing, and maligning journalists:
    • “Once out of the hospital, a bruised up Navarro got in front of the camera...’I hold President Milei responsible for what happened to me and what might happen to me.’” –Roberto Navarro (30:35)

5. Legal Recourse & Systemic Barriers

• Julia’s Response

  • With few legal avenues through platforms, Julia considers her options and decides to go public and pursue legal action.
    • “I’m not going to look the other way, but we’re going to focus. I’m going to use this in my favor.” (33:21)

• Filing Criminal Charges

  • She files a criminal complaint against President Milei and several associates, charging them with public intimidation, inciting hatred, threats, illegal association, and misuse of public funds. (36:00–36:44)
  • “Because I started to receive calls from different lawyers in Argentina…we have to do something with this.” (36:20)

• Barriers to Justice

  • US-based platforms are shielded by Section 230; Argentina has little relevant law.
    • “She can sue the president and other political leaders in Argentina...[But] suing them [tech companies] is not an option...because of section 230.” –Brian Reed (45:03)

6. Transformation: From Victim to Symbol of Resistance

• Turning Point

  • Publicly sharing her audio message crying on TV sparks a wave of support that alters the narrative:
    • “If Julia choosing to broadcast herself crying invigorated her trolls again, she didn’t care. This time, the support was much louder and she felt it more.” (35:39)

• Lasting Effects and Lessons

  • Julia’s visibility and support in Argentina increase; being a survivor and resister of the attack becomes part of her public identity. (41:06–41:48)
    • “Now I walk down the street and I’m not afraid anymore. Strangers come greet me...They made me into a hero, which I wasn’t before.”
    • “I feel that I won already in ethical terms...To keep on saying the horrors of Milei’s government.” (41:48–41:59)

• Advice for Others

  • Julia urges public denunciation and collective action against digital violence.
    • “Maybe I would say that you need to denounce this publicly, make it public, to have a public discussion about it, to start fighting against these things, not naturalize them.” (40:19)

7. The Political Context: International Implications

• US-Argentina Relations
  • Brian Reed and Julia discuss the political consequences of US President Trump’s support for Milei during the recent elections, which helped bolster Milei’s party in parliament. (42:11–44:00)
  • “I feel more vulnerable. It’s not the same to be confronting a weakened president as it is to be confronting a president with renewed power.” (42:50)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Deepfakes are a new horrendous problem. Uncharted territory for disinformation...These videos come with a whole assortment of thorny ethical questions.” –Zach St. Louis (03:01)

• “I felt torture. The word torture in our country is very heavy...Nevertheless, I have no doubt that I was being tortured and that the fact that it was spiritual didn’t make it less real.” –Julia Mengolini (22:34)

• “Javier Milei, the President of Argentina, liked and retweeted and piled on and raised the profile of a deepfake porn video attacking Julia nearly 100 times in three days...On many of his tweets, he added a favorite catchphrase of ‘we don’t hate journalists enough.’” –Zach St. Louis (27:40)

• “I decided to file a complaint against the President. The crimes are public intimidation with assignment to hatred, illegal association, threats, and embezzlement of public funds.” –Julia Mengolini (35:54, 36:50)

• “The pain I felt is real as the pain of a punch. So why shouldn’t this be a crime, a violence like this?” –Julia Mengolini (39:59)

• “They made me into a hero, which I wasn’t before...Now... I feel that I won already in ethical terms. And that is something that gives me a lot of strength.” –Julia Mengolini (41:06–41:59)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:01] Introduction to deepfakes’ threat to truth and journalism
• [06:11] Julia’s background as a political journalist in Argentina
• [10:17] Roots of online abuse tied to Julia’s criticism of President Milei
• [11:18] Gruesome threats and doxxing targeting Julia and her family
• [12:35] First appearance of AI-doctored incest photo with her brother
• [14:53] Circulation of deepfake pornographic video
• [22:34] Julia describes impact of “spiritual torture”
• [27:40] President Milei’s public escalation, retweets, and “we don’t hate journalists enough”
• [36:00] Julia files criminal charges against Milei and others
• [40:19] Julia’s advice for targets of similar harassment
• [41:48] Julia’s transformation in the public eye and her resilience
• [42:11] US involvement in Argentina’s election and implications for journalism

Tone & Language

The episode is serious, urgent, and at times rawly human—with Julia Mengolini’s vulnerability, determination, and candidness at the center. Zach and Brian maintain a tone of journalistic inquiry, underlining the moral stakes and systemic challenges with empathy and clarity.

Conclusion

This episode offers a powerful, unvarnished look at how new technologies like deepfakes are weaponized in concert with political power to silence and intimidate the press. Julia Mengolini’s personal ordeal exposes the limits of current legal remedies, the global interconnectedness of online abuse, and the central role of public solidarity in resisting digital violence. Her journey ends on a note of hard-won moral victory and a call to collective action.