The Athletic concluded a five-month internal review into former NFL insider Dianna Russini on Thursday, determining she violated the publication’s conflict-of-interest policies. The investigation, conducted by editorial director Mike Semel, examined approximately 900 stories and 77 videos produced during Russini’s nearly three-year tenure at the outlet. Russini ended her months-long silence the same day the findings were released, issuing a statement affirming confidence in her professional work.
The review was triggered after photos surfaced in April showing Russini and New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel together at a resort in Sedona, Arizona. The images depicted the pair holding hands and spending time together. Russini resigned from The Athletic one week after the photos became public, before the formal investigation concluded. Semel’s report determined the photographs alone constituted a policy violation, though the review did not establish the complete nature of their relationship since Russini was no longer employed by the outlet.
Russini declined to participate in the investigation process. Semel interviewed approximately 14 Athletic staff members and found that roughly 5% of Russini’s contributed articles involved Vrabel or his teams, though none were exclusive scoops. The review identified no definitive evidence that Russini leveraged her position to benefit Vrabel, though certain pieces received scrutiny for their tone. Semel recommended adding editor’s notes to select content and implementing enhanced standards training for new newsroom employees.
Originally reported by Sports.yahoo →
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