Athletic Finds Russini-Vrabel Ties Broke Standards

The Athletic has confirmed that the relationship between former NFL reporter Dianna Russini and New England FC Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel broke the outlet's editorial standards. The finding comes from an internal investigation the newsroom launched five months ago, with results published on Thursday.

Mike Semel, the Athletic's editorial director for standards and quality, led the review. He wrote that he found no clear evidence of bias in Russini's coverage and could not pin down the exact nature of her relationship with Vrabel. He did conclude that it created the appearance of a conflict of interest.

«Russini’s relationship with Vrabel was in clear violation of The Athletic’s standards, Regardless of whether the relationship was romantic, it was a breach and should have been disclosed».

Semel also flagged specific coverage. He wrote that he found no clear link showing Russini used her platform to promote Vrabel or benefit his teams during her time at The Athletic, but noted examples of her writing glowingly about him that, in hindsight, read as awkward or uncomfortable.

The review followed photos published by the New York Post showing Russini and Vrabel together at an FC Arizona resort around the time of the NFL owners' meetings in March. Some images appeared to show the two embracing and holding hands. Both are married to other people. Russini said the photos left out that the encounter was part of a larger group gathering, and Vrabel called any suggestion of impropriety laughable.

The Athletic, owned by the New York Times, initially backed Russini, with its executive editor saying the photos lacked context. The outlet opened a formal review only after further photos and reporting raised additional questions about the relationship.