When Dianna Russini left ESPN for The Athletic, Peter King wrote that “she immediately becomes one of the highest-paid writers in the history of the August New York Times company.”
Wednesday’s article in the New York Times regarding the circumstances that led to her resignation (and the aftermath) supplies a specific number.
“The Athletic paid her an annual salary of close to $800,000, according to a former manager who had knowledge of her salary negotiation,” the Times reported. This would have made her one of the highest-paid journalists at the Times Company.”
The Times article adds this: “At the time the story [regarding Russini’s relationship with Patriots coach Mike Vrabel] broke, The Athletic was in discussions with Ms. Russini about renewing her contract, which was set to expire at the end of June.”
King wrote in 2023 that The Athletic hired Russini “to be a subscription magnet.” Ultimately, she became a lightning rod — both externally and internally.
The internal investigation conducted by The Athletic continues despite her resignation because of lingering tension within the Times Company tracing to the acquisition of The Athletic and the scrapping of the in-house sports-reporting apparatus. As John Ourand of Puck reported in April, reporters with the Times have complained that The Athletic “operates under looser standards and rules.”
The Russini situation creates an opportunity for the Times and The Athletic to show that the same standards apply. Whether the final outcome of the investigation accomplishes that goal remains to be seen.
Regardless, the final outcome of the investigation seems to be coming soon. With July 4 only 10 days away, the afternoons of Thursday, July 2, or Friday, July 3, become a perfect slow-day bad-news nook into which the final report can be wedged.
