New York Times investigating NFL reporter Dianna Russini after photos with Patriots coach Mike Vrabel emerge

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Photographs emerged showing New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel with The Athletic/New York Times NFL reporter Dianna Russini at a resort in Arizona earlier this week, and now that reporter is the subject of an internal investigation.

Athletic executive editor Steven Ginsberg initially gave a statement to the New York Post's Page Six April 7, calling the photos "misleading."

"These photos are misleading and lack essential context," Ginsberg initially said. "These were public interactions in front of many people. Dianna is a premier journalist covering the NFL, and we’re proud to have her at The Athletic."

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Cars and taxi cabs travel past The New York Times sign above the entrance to the newspaper’s corporate headquarters in Times Square in New York City Jan. 27, 2023. (Yuriy T/iStock)

Now, sources at The Athletic familiar with the controversy told Fox News Digital Russini is being investigated, while standing by Ginsberg's initial statement.

The sources responded to Fox News Digital after Page Six and Front Office Sports reported on the internal investigation into Russini.

"After Page Six reached out to Dianna for comment on Tuesday, The Athletic immediately began an investigation. While the apparent conduct in the photos raised questions for Steven and leadership at The Athletic, an initial review suggested the images provided lacked context, specifically the presence of a larger group of friends," a source said.

"New details from the Page Six report and information from the investigation raised additional concerns