After releasing bodycam footage from Dianna Russini’s January traffic stop, the New York Times has published a follow-up recap while still characterizing her conduct as “unacceptable.” The paper also floated the possibility that Russini was stopped twice that
The bodycam footage didn’t just add new detail to Dianna Russini’s story. It forced the New York Times to keep stepping around the same line it already drew—calling Russini’s conduct “unacceptable conduct.”
The original Times article about Russini’s activities—framing the matter through her account of FaceTiming an NFL coach to avoid a ticket—had not been revised as of the posting referenced here. Instead, the paper published a new article using the same reporters named in the original piece. This follow-up recounts what the bodycam shows and ties its framing back to a prior statement.
Danielle Rhoades Ha, described as a spokeswoman for the Times Company, is said to have referred New York Times reporters to that earlier statement, in which Russini’s publicly shared version of the incident was labeled “unacceptable conduct.”
The new Times article also includes a specific point of uncertainty: “It was not certain whether the January traffic stop was the same incident that Ms. Russini described in detail on the podcast.”
Russini has publicly said the traffic stop occurred after the Bills fired coach Sean McDermott. The bodycam footage in the account is dated January 19—“the morning McDermott was fired”—and it supports that timing. Russini’s version matches the bodycam’s contents with one clear exception: there was no FaceTime call.
That gap is now shaping what the Times is willing to say. The paper is effectively leaving room for the possibility that Russini was pulled over more than once that morning. The version described here is that. in both stops. the officer said he wasn’t a fan of the Giants or the Jets. In one stop, the Times’ follow-up suggests Russini showed the officer her texts to the coach of his favorite teams. In the other stop—under this hypothetical—she FaceTimed the coach of the officer’s favorite team.
There’s no shortage of pressure inside that decision. The argument attached to the Times’ approach is blunt: the paper assumed Russini’s story was true without doing the legwork. and it still hasn’t corrected its earlier story. The timing of that expectation is tied to the Times’ own ethical policy. quoted here: “It is our policy to correct our errors. large and small. as soon as we become aware of them.”.
By adopting the position that it’s not “certain” whether an error occurred. the Times is avoiding the correction described in its own rulebook. And for readers watching the footage close up. the question remains straightforward: if the bodycam confirms the timing—January 19. after McDermott’s firing—but contradicts the FaceTime detail. what exactly is the paper waiting to be “certain” about?.
Dianna Russini New York Times bodycam footage traffic stop Sean McDermott Buffalo Bills FaceTime Giants Jets Danielle Rhoades Ha