The Athletic’s senior NFL reporter, Diana Russini, will not be reporting while the outlet conducts a thorough investigation into intimate pictures of her and New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel that were released last week.
The Athletic, part of the New York Times, released a statement announcing its decision.
“According to the person familiar with The Athletic’s investigation, the nature of Ms. Russini’s relationship with Mr. Vrabel and her coverage are being reviewed, and she will not be reporting while the investigation is underway,” the report from Katie Robertson reports.
Robertson’s piece links to the editorial guidelines that govern reporters for The Athletic/New York Times.
“When reporting and writing stories, we do not have an agenda, and our readers must understand that. If our readers question our adherence to that basic tenet of journalism, our credibility will be at stake. To maintain the highest form of authority, we should avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest and reveal those sources or affiliations that may put into question our ability to be credible. For instance, writers who have collaborated with a source — athlete, GM, team official, or broadcaster — on a book should not report on that subject going forward. In addition, written permission from editorial leadership is needed to pursue a project of that nature.”
Vrabel, the former Super Bowl champ-turned head coach, was caught by cameras with the Athletic’s NFL reporter Diana Russini in a hot tub at an exclusive Arizona resort last month, according to Page Six.
Both Vrabel and Russini are married to other people.
Russini was named The Athletic’s lead NFL reporter in the summer of 2023; before that, she worked at ESPN for eight years. For its part, the Patriots have reportedly canceled Vrabel’s media availability at the Monday pre-draft press conferences.
