The NFL world has been rocked by the recent scandal involving New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and The Athletic reporter Dianna Russini. The two were spotted holding hands, hugging and lounging by the pool at a resort in Arizona two weeks ago. Several issues have surfaced because of the photos.
Firstly, both of them are married. Secondly, Russini has frequently reported inside information about Vrabel and his teams over the course of his head coaching career. The optics are bad, and now the questions have shifted to her journalistic integrity.
Dianna Russini sidelined by The Atletic / New York Times while investigation is ongoing
Russini is currently employed by The Athletic, which is owned by The New York Times. A couple of days after the photos surfaced, The New York Times has made a decision on her role for the time being. Russini will not be reporting for the news media outlet until they conclude an internal investigation.
According to a source for Page Six, the investigation has already uncovered “additional concerns” regarding her coverage methods. For now, Russini won’t be working.
After Page Six reached out to Dianna for comment, the Athletic immediately began an investigation. While the apparent conduct in the photos raised questions for [the Athletic executive editor Steven Ginsberg] and leadership at the Athletic, an initial review suggested the images provided lacked context, specifically the presence of a larger group of friends… new details from the Page Six report and information from the investigation raised additional concerns that are now being reviewed further. The investigation is ongoing. Her coverage is being reviewed. That process is expected to take time. She will not be reporting in the interim.
It’s unclear how long the investigation will take, but it sounds like Russini could be in real trouble with her current employer. This is only just getting started.
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