News Release Details

DAVENPORT, Iowa, Jun 27, 2002 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Kevin Mowbray, a veteran of eight newspaper operations in Lee Enterprises (NYSE:LEE) and one of the company's most experienced sales leaders, has been appointed vice president for sales and marketing.

Mowbray, publisher of The Bismarck Tribune, succeeds Michael Phelps, who has become publisher of the Quad-City Times in Davenport.

Mary Junck, Lee's chairman and chief executive officer, said Mowbray will intensify the company's successful focus on revenue and circulation growth.

"In his 16 years with Lee, Kevin has written one storybook success after another," she said. "He's dynamic, energetic and creative. He brings outstanding leadership skills and an impressive record for networking ideas. Perhaps most importantly, he brings a deep, practical knowledge of how sales and marketing need to work on the local level, which is where we gain and keep our momentum. With Kevin's experience and abilities, on top of the base Michael built, I'm confident that our industry leadership in sales and marketing will accelerate."

Phelps, who will continue as a vice president overseeing newspapers in four states, said Mowbray has helped shape Lee's emphasis on creative and rapid revenue growth.

"Kevin is a terrific choice," Phelps said. "He has led task forces, continually contributed successful selling practices to Lee colleagues and enthusiastically embraced every element of the Lee sales and marketing program. He's aggressive and smart, with a predisposition for action. I'm delighted that he's succeeding me because I think he can take us quickly to the next level."

Mowbray, 40, has been publisher of The Bismarck Tribune for two years. In 2001, under his leadership, the newspaper received Lee's highest company-wide honor, the President's Award for Enterprise of the Year.

He began his career with Lee in 1986 as an advertising sales representative in his hometown of Kewanee, Ill. He advanced to sales positions at Lee newspapers in Helena, Butte and Billings, Mont., before moving to Chicago as Lee's national sales manager for corporate sales and marketing. As national sales manager, he was responsible for coordination of field work crucial to regional and national buys for Lee and the direct supervision of regional field offices in Billings, Davenport and Madison. In 1995, he joined the Lincoln Journal Star as advertising manager, where he served three years before becoming general manager at the Missoulian in Missoula, Mont., in 1998.

He has participated in numerous community and statewide organizations, most recently as vice chair of the Bismarck Library Board Foundation and a member of the Bismarck State College Foundation, BMDA Executive Board and St. Alexius Medical Lay Advisory Board. He also serves of the boards of United Way and YMCA. He is a journalism graduate of Western Illinois University. He and his wife, Linda, have two daughters and a son.

Lee Enterprises is based in Davenport, Iowa. Lee owns 38 newspapers and a 50 percent interest in seven others. In addition, Lee recently announced plans to acquire the remaining 50 percent interest in the Sioux City Journal. Lee also owns more than 175 weekly newspapers, shoppers and classified and specialty publications, along with associated online services. Its stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol LEE. More information about Lee Enterprises is available at 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, interest rates, labor costs, legislative and regulatory rulings and other results of operations or financial conditions, difficulties in integration of acquired business 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, Davenport Dan Hayes, 563/383-2163 dan.hayes@lee.net