Report: Dianna Russini, Mike Vrabel “coordinated” on how to respond to New York Post report
Despite being the biggest story in the NFL for 10 days and counting, the photos of Patriots coach Mike Vrabel with former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini have been ignored by most mainstream media outlets.
That changed on Friday, with a deep dive from Ben Strauss of ESPN, the company that previously employed Russini before she was hired by The Athletic.
Among other things, Strauss reports that Russini “coordinated with Vrabel about how to respond” to the initial story from the New York Post, which posted photos of the two of them together at an adults-only resort in Sedona, Arizona on April 7.
That alone could be viewed by The Athletic and its parent, The New York Times, as a potential violation of the very high bar the publications apply to reporters, when it comes to avoiding conflicts of interest. Asking a source who is also a subject of ongoing coverage for, essentially, assistance when it comes to navigating a delicate employment situation arguably creates the appearance of a conflict of interest.
The Times and, by extension, The Athletic arguably prohibit such conduct. As Strauss points out, the companies’ ethics policy states that “[r]elationships with sources require sound judgment to prevent the fact or appearance of partiality. . . . It is essential we preserve a detachment, free of any whiff of bias.”
Working with Vrabel to coordinate their stories arguably creates a “whiff of bias,” at a minimum.
Russini, per Strauss, argued to her employers that the photos amounted to a “sexist attack on a female reporter in a male-dominated field,” and Russini offered to allow her employers to speak to Vrabel. The company declined, per Strauss.
Strauss also reports that “executives asked for more evidence from Russini such as text messages about an airport pickup, screenshots of planning the trip or photos from a hike” with friends. Russini reportedly never provided sufficient evidence to The Athletic.
Russini eventually resigned before the internal investigation concluded. The Athletic has informed staffers that the review will nevertheless continue.
