News Release Details

DAVENPORT, Iowa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 1, 2006--Thirty-seven daily newspapers of Lee Enterprises, Incorporated (NYSE:LEE), have reported year-over-year circulation growth for the six-month period ended Sept. 30, 2006.

Meanwhile, use of Lee newspaper online sites, as measured by page views, increased 43 percent from September 2005 to 2006, further extending audience reach.

Lee newspapers with circulation growth include the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, one of only a few major metropolitan dailies in the country to report gains.

Lee's 51 newspapers that are members of the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported combined declines of 0.2 percent daily and 0.5 percent Sunday. Nationally, newspapers reported average decreases of 2.8 percent daily and 3.4 percent Sunday.

"These results reflect the high priority our newspapers have given to increasing circulation, readership and online audiences," said Mary Junck, Lee chairman and chief executive officer. She added: "Also, paid circulation is only one measure of our reach and effectiveness. Our studies show that total readership, which includes multiple readers per copy, covers more than half to three-fourths or more of all the adults in our markets. Coupled with our rapidly expanding online audiences, we reach more people today than ever before, and we expect that growth to continue."

Of the 37 Lee newspapers with circulation growth, 27 reported gains daily, 28 reported gains Sunday, and 18 reported gains both daily and Sunday. The newspapers reporting gains are located in Flagstaff and Tucson, Ariz.; Hanford, Lompoc and Santa Maria, Calif.; Lihue, Hawaii; Mason City, Sioux City and Waterloo, Iowa; Twin Falls, Idaho; Bloomington, Carbondale, Charleston, Decatur and DeKalb, Ill.; Munster, Ind.; Winona, Minn.; Park Hills and St. Louis, Mo.; Billings, Butte and Helena, Mont.; Fremont and Lincoln, Neb.; Bismarck, N.D.; Albany and Coos Bay, Ore.; Carlisle, Pa; Orangeburg, S.C.; Provo, Utah; Longview, Wash.; Baraboo, Chippewa Falls, La Crosse, Portage and Racine, Wis.; and Casper, Wyo.

At Lee's largest newspaper, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, daily circulation climbed 0.7 percent to 276,588, despite a strategic reduction in lower value distribution outside the metropolitan area. The Post-Dispatch reported Sunday circulation of 418,262, a decline of 2.4 percent, reflecting an increase in the Sunday single copy price, as well as the distribution change.

Over the last five years, from September 2001 to September 2006, using comparable data for each September reporting period, circulation among Lee newspapers has declined at an annual average rate of 0.5 percent daily and 0.6 percent Sunday.

Lee Enterprises is a premier publisher of local news, information and advertising in primarily midsize markets, with 51 daily newspapers and a joint interest in five others, rapidly growing online sites and more than 300 weekly newspapers and specialty publications in 23 states. Lee's newspapers have circulation of 1.6 million daily and 1.9 million Sunday, reaching more than four million readers daily. Lee's online sites reach more than two million users, and Lee's weekly publications have distribution of more than 4.5 million households. Lee's newspaper markets include St. Louis, Mo.; Lincoln, Neb.; Madison, Wis.; Davenport, Iowa; Billings, Mont.; Bloomington, Ill.; Tucson, Ariz.; and Napa, Calif. Lee is based in Davenport, Iowa, and its stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol LEE. For more information about Lee Enterprises, please visit www.lee.net.

The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "Safe Harbor" for forward-looking statements. This release contains information that may be deemed forward-looking and that is based largely on the Company's current expectations and is subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. Among such risks, trends and other uncertainties are changes in advertising demand, newsprint prices, energy costs, interest rates, labor costs, legislative and regulatory rulings and other results of operations or financial conditions, difficulties in integration of acquired businesses or maintaining employee and customer relationships and increased capital and other costs. The words "may," "will," "would," "could," "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "projects," "considers" and similar expressions generally identify forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which are made as of the date of this release. The Company does not publicly undertake to update or revise its forward-looking statements.

CONTACT: Lee Enterprises Dan Hayes, 563-383-2100 dan.hayes@lee.net SOURCE: Lee Enterprises