Last week, New York Times drop long article about former reporter Dianna Russini. Di article open with story of how she FaceTime one NFL coach to avoid ticket for texting while driving. Di Times treat am as gospel truth, even add statement from company spokesperson wey call di creative effort to avoid ticket “unacceptable conduct.”
But bodycam footage wey Adam Herbets of di Center Square get show dat Russini story no be true. Di video show di whole traffic stop for Ridgewood, New Jersey, on January 13, 2026, right after news break dat Buffalo Bills fire coach Sean McDermott.
For di footage, Russini tell di officer: “So, you’re not going to care – I’m an NFL reporter. And I just broke dat Sean McDermott got fired from di Bills. And dat is what I was just sending, a tweet. I was gonna pull over because I have to make calls. I know you don’t care, but I just wanted you to know my reason why. It was a work thing.”
Di officer note dat “di former journalist” don dey on her phone “for a while.” Russini tell di officer she dey on phone wit Brian Daboll, wey di officer no recognize. She ask if he be fan of New York Jets or New York Giants, but he say he root for Minnesota Vikings. Den she show her phone wit text conversation wit Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, wey di officer see and react: “Oh my god. Wow. Pretty cool!”
Di officer eventually give her warning, saying: “Listen, I’m gonna cut you a break on di cell phone. I understand your job requires you to be on di phone a lot. Just try to wait until you get home, okay? Keep me updated wit di Vikings, okay? Let me know if ‘KOC’ is going to get a new quarterback.”
Ridgewood Police Department Captain Glenn Elder confirm di stop and say di officer use professional discretion to issue verbal warning, based on department protocol and Russini driving history.
Now, di question dey: why di New York Times no get di bodycam video before publish di article? Adam Herbets get am. Di Times essentially get caught flat-footed. On one hand, e be plausible to take Russini at her word, because she freely admit to doing something she shouldn’t do. Why she go lie about dat? On di other hand, there be pre-existing reason to dey skeptical about anything she say, given her response to di initial Sedona photos wit Patriots coach Mike Vrabel. She wait two days to alert her bosses, she supply strong and arguably strident statement wey later be undermined by photos taken in March 2020 and by multiple comments from Vrabel himself, and she possibly no give her immediate supervisor, Steven Ginsberg, all di photos before he craft and issue strong statement of support for her.
Den there be di basic curiosity wey suppose drive all journalism. If di Times dey go make di FaceTime story di hook for long article about Russini, shouldn’t di Times don want find out which coach, if any, be contacted? Second, why di Russini article no don correct? As of dis posting, di original item no don revise to indicate dat di bodycam footage don surface, and dat there be no FaceTime. Di New York Times, for its Ethics in Journalism handbook, say: “Accuracy is di foundation of our credibility, so carefully checking facts is a fundamental responsibility of every staff member. It is our policy to correct our errors, large and small, as soon as we become aware of dem.”
These questions only add to di lingering tension between di New York Times and di Athletic. Much of di internal consternation regarding Russini relationship wit Vrabel trace to di perception within di Times dat di Athletic operate under looser set of rules. If di Times article about a former Athletic reporter be di product of looser form of journalism, well, dat be awkward.
Hovering over dis latest wrinkle for Russini-gate be di looming release of report of di internal investigation conducted by di Athletic. What e go say, or no say, about di situation wey be deemed to reflect “unacceptable conduct,” now dat di full truth don come to light? We fit find out soon. Di best time for midsummer bad news dump dey come soon. Di Athletic fit dey release di results of its investigation just in time to get lost for di hard reset of July 4 weekend.
