The Athletic Concludes Dianna Russini Investigation, Suggests Editor’s Notes
Russini resigned from The Athletic in April
The Athletic has completed an investigation into former NFL insider Dianna Russini, concluding that she should have disclosed her relationship with Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel while working for the outlet. Despite claims that their relationship was platonic, photos of Russini and Vrabel embracing at an adults-only resort in Arizona surfaced in April.
Rather than definitively revealing any wrongdoing, the investigation found that Russini's work was not directly tied to promoting Vrabel or his teams. However, it did note awkward instances where Russini praised Vrabel excessively, and the photos raised questions about her impartiality. The investigation revealed that Russini's connection to Vrabel may have facilitated a February 2025 story about Vrabel's year between head coaching jobs.
The Athletic's investigation focused solely on Russini's work practices and did not explore the nature of her relationship with Vrabel. Executive editor Steven Ginsberg apologized for the misleading photos, and the outlet recommended adding editor's notes to three "light-hearted" videos and a 2023 story featuring Vrabel.
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