On October 26th WWL Louisiana anchor Eric Paulsen passed away after a short battle with cancer. The New Orleans journalist was 74.
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Just a little over a month ago the longtime news anchor announced his diagnosis describing the cancer as “fairly aggressive”. According to Popculture, Paulsen had written an open letter to his viewers. In the letter, he told them that he would “be on medical leave for the next few months battling cancer.”
Despite the aggressive diagnosis, Paulsen still seemed optimistic. In the letter he wrote that his doctors “say it is treatable. And they are as confident as I am that I can and will beat this.”
He continued, “I’ve always been a fighter, this is a fight I don’t welcome, but I’m ready for this battle. My attitude is very positive. And I have a lot of support from family and friends, which means I will see you all soon.”
Following his announcement, the CBS News anchor received many well wishes, according to his wife. She said, “The outpouring of love and support has truly been overwhelming. Even for someone who was used to being in the spotlight, Eric was truly surprised and humbled by how many people reached out to support him.”
Eric Paulsen Was An Important Fixture Within The New Orleans Community
Paulsen was said to be the “longest-tenured anchor in the region” after more than 40 years working for WWL Louisiana.
The dedicated anchor was born on July 13, 1950, in St. Louis. He later went on to graduate from Southern Illinois University with a degree in journalism. In 1977 the anchor began his anchoring career working as a weekend reporter for WWL Louisiana, a CBS affiliate.
Just two years later, Paulsen became co-anchor to Lea Sinclair on a nightly program called PM Magazine. In 1985 Paulsen switched from the nightly news to a morning show. He then went on to anchor WWL’s top-rated noon newscast from 2001-2019.
After five decades of anchoring, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Press Club of New Orleans. Paulsen was well-known within the New Orleans community and loved by many. Mayor LaToya Cantrell spoke kindly of Paulsen saying that he “was more than just a news anchor, he was a fixture in our community and a beloved friend to many.”
She continued, saying that his “dedication to his craft and love for our great city were evident in every story he told. He will be deeply missed.”
Paulsen is survived by his wife and 3 children, sons Emmet and John and daughter Lexei, sister Karen, brother-in-law Richard and brother Kim.