Russini-Vrabel relationship a 'clear violation' according to Athletic investigation

NFLImage of Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini obtained via AP Photos.AP PhotosBy Andrew Hammond | ahammond@al.comOne of the biggest stories of the NFL’s offseason played out like a soap opera for all the wrong reasons. Former NFL reporter Dianna Russini’s relationship with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, who was and is still married dominated the headlines. The relationship eventually led to the departure of Russini from The Athletic as an investigation began into her actions while employed by the New York Times-owned company. “Russini’s relationship with Vrabel was in clear violation of The Athletic’s standards,” Mike Semel, the outlet’s editorial director for standards and editorial quality, wrote in the report. “Regardless of whether the relationship was romantic, it was a breach and should have been disclosed.”However, the biggest surprise in the findings from The Athletic were thar Russini’s actions were not used to promote or show favoritism towards Vrabel’s teams when she worked at the Athletic.“I’ve not found a clear link to conclude that Russini used her platform to help promote Vrabel or help his teams during her time at The Athletic” Semel wrote. “That said, there are examples of Russini writing glowingly of Vrabel that in hindsight are awkward or even uncomfortable.”During the investigation, 903 stories and 77 videos that contained Russini’s byline, contributor line or a mention of her reporting were analyzed. Semel also looked into 204 episodes of a podcast Russini co-hosted and a number of appearances she made on other outlets while representing the Athletic.The Athletic once defended Russini’s reporting and her reputation, but eventually more information came out and eventually led to Russini’s resignation from The Athletic. A journalist of 19 years, Andrew Hammond's career has taken him from Wichita, KS to Birmingham, AL. In that time, he's excelled in producing quality content in radio, television and newspapers in newsrooms...