The Athletic confirms that Dianna Russini is under investigation, "will not be reporting"

Everybody wants to cover sports media. Except, of course, when the coverage involves a sports media colleague working for the same publication.

The Athletic ended its conspicuous silence regarding the NFL's story of the week on Saturday. The item from Katie Robertson confirms that Russini is under investigation after the emergence on Tuesday of photos of Russini and Patriots coach Mike Vrabel "holding hands and hugging at a resort in Arizona, as well as sitting together in the hotel’s hot tub."

The item posted by The Athletic reports this, about The Athletic: "According to the person familiar with The Athletic’s investigation, the nature of Ms. Russini’s relationship with Mr. Vrabel and her coverage are being reviewed and she will not be reporting while the investigation is underway."

Robertson adds that the publication's editorial guidelines "require that their journalists avoid any activities that pose a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict, so as not to call into question their credibility."

Here's the relevant language from the editorial guidelines, to which Robertson's article links: "When reporting and writing stories we do not have an agenda and it is important that our readers understand that. If our readers question our adherence to that basic tenet of journalism, our credibility will be at stake. To maintain the highest form of authority we should avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest and reveal those sources or affiliations that may put into question our ability to be credible. For instance, writers who have collaborated with a source — athlete, GM, team official or broadcaster — on a book should not report on that subject going forward. In addition, written permission from editorial leadership is needed to pursue a project of that nature."

That's a high bar. The photos published by the New York Post, regardless of what they ultimately do or do not show, arguably reflect a failure to "avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest." Which makes the initial statement from Steven Ginsberg, executive editor of The Athletic, seem to be even more curious. To say the least.

The Athletic has not yet used the word "suspended" in reference to Russini. But that's the practical impact of the phrase "will not be reporting," since she was hired by The Athletic to be a reporter.

Looming over the entire situation is the fact that Russini's contract expires in August 2026. Absent complete and total exoneration as a result of the internal investigation, it's hard to envision Russini ever reporting for The Athletic again.