’Never a Real Journalist’ — Writers Detail How NYT’s Bombshell Report Painted Dianna Russini As ‘Ethically-Challenged Loose Cannon’

The New York Times’ lengthy report on former NFL insider Dianna Russini by Katherine Rosman and Ken Belson prompted two journalists to question whether the newspaper intentionally portrayed the veteran reporter in an unusually harsh light. Former The Athletic NBA writer Ethan Strauss argued the article implied Russini “was never a real journalist,” while Front Office Sports’ Michael McCarthy said the report painted her as an “ethically-challenged loose cannon.