I have been in contact with the Crown Media team and they are all real journalists who are contracted in to support exercises the MoD having now moved away from students and local contracts.
Dan,
I will be starting work at the Defence Media Ops Centre a week on Monday if you want an inside track on how the MoD use SIMPRESS but with Crown having a contract for at least the next 12 months you may be pushing on a closed door.
Si