By now the question, “What’s going on with Eric Eskola?” has been pretty well answered among media insiders. The question remaining is, “How do we explain it to the general public, if we do at all?”
The position taken by WCCO-AM is to say simply that Eskola, the station’s heretofore indefatigable government and politics reporter, “Is taking a well deserved rest, we wish him only the best, we love him and we expect him to be back.”
My first inclination has been to let that stand. But, if I were to apply The Golden Rule to this situation, where Eskola suddenly stepped away from coverage of the State Legislature in its final, most newsworthy hours, I would not want to hear whispers that I was being disciplined for some reason or another, or that my employers had yanked me from the beat.
Eskola is a bit of a Minnesota icon for good reason. The guy is, and has been, tireless in his coverage of Minnesota politics and government, (not always the same thing, you know). Colleagues and competitors marvel at the hours he puts in covering his beat, which of course sprawls from WCCO radio to TPT’s “Almanac” and on and on.
WCCO is, as I say, taking the position that it is, “respecting Eric’s privacy”, and on one level I can appreciate that. But my experience is that the public at large is tremendously sympathetic to public figures — especially those they admire for their work ethic and credibility — who reach a point of exhaustion, for whatever the reason, and have to leave the stage for a while.
More to the point, it simply isn’t possible to pretend nothing is happening, or allow rumors to build that the reasons for Eskola’s absence are related to anything disciplinary or a dissatisfaction with his professional conduct.
When Eskola returns from “a well-deserved rest” he can explain as much or as little as he wants. But for the time being, be advised that his issues are entirely personal and there is no truth to any suggestion that WCCO or CBS has made a move against him.
I do wish him the best.
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