Sports reporter Dianna Russini became the headline earlier this year when Page Six released intimate photos of her with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel back in April.. The NFL insider subsequently resigned from her role at The Athletic amid an internal investigation into her reporting conduct — and now, two months later, parent company The New York Times has shared its own coverage of the scandal’s timeline, including Russini’s apparent $800,000 salary.. Advertisement. Advertisement. Advertisement. “Ms. Russini operated in a sports-media landscape where traditional journalistic lines could be blurry,” journalists Katherine Rosman and Ken Belson wrote on Wednesday. “She might have considered calling a coach to get out of a ticket not only appropriate, but a funny story to tell on a podcast. For The Athletic, under the ownership of The Times, it was out of bounds.”. A Times spokesperson further referred to Russini’s actions as “unacceptable conduct” in the article. TheWrap has reached out to The New York Times for further comment.. Russini previously said she had “no interest in submitting to a public inquiry that has already caused far more damage than I am willing to accept” upon her resignation, which came after The Athletic initially backed her. Meanwhile, Vrabel admitted to having “difficult conversations” with his family and football team at an April press conference.. “In order to be successful on and off the field, you have to make good decisions. That includes me. That starts with me. We never want our actions to negatively affect the team, never want to be the cause of distraction,” he shared. “I know I’m going to attack each day with humility and focus.”. Advertisement. Advertisement. Advertisement. Additional details of note: The Times purchased The Athletic for $550 million in 2022; Russini’s contract was set to expire this month after joining the outlet in 2023 from ESPN, though she was reportedly in renewal discussions before the photographs were published; both Russini and Vrabel were married to other people at the time in question.. The New York Post photos showed the pair at a luxury hotel in Sedona, Arizona, where they reportedly shared breakfast together and spent time in the hot tub. However, Russini noted that sports reporters frequently meet sources outside of stadiums, while Vrabel said the pictures depicted “a completely innocent interaction.”. The post New York Times Investigates Its Own, Reveals $800K Salary for NFL Reporter at Center of Mike Vrabel Scandal appeared first on TheWrap.
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