Staff at The New York Times and its sports arm, The Athletic, are growing increasingly frustrated as an internal investigation into star NFL reporter Dianna Russini remains unfinished more than two months after photos of her holding hands with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel were published, with top editors now saying a report is still 'weeks' away, according to insiders.
The furore began in early April when Page Six released pictures of Russini, then the face of NFL coverage at The Athletic, walking hand-in-hand with Vrabel. The pair were reportedly seen kissing, and the images quickly ricocheted around the newsroom. The Athletic, which the Times acquired in 2022 to turbocharge its sports coverage, suddenly found its star reporter at the centre of questions about conflicts of interest, impartiality and disclosure.
