News Release Details

DAVENPORT, Iowa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 9, 2002--Mary Junck, president, chairman and chief executive officer of Lee Enterprises (NYSE:LEE), announced today three winners of 2002 Lee President's Awards for "outstanding achievement in pulling off the biggest acquisition in Lee's history."

She presented the awards at a corporate staff gathering to celebrate Lee's $694 million purchase of 16 daily newspapers from Howard Publications. The acquisition, which was completed last week, raises Lee's daily circulation by 75 percent, to more than 1.1 million daily in 45 newspapers across 18 states.

Receiving the awards were:

• Lisa Sievers, who was recently appointed publisher of the Muscatine Journal in Iowa. As a senior financial analyst during the due diligence process, she "took reams and reams of information, organized it and analyzed it... then went to the field to answer the questions she raised." Junck added: "She also has been heavily involved and remains so in generating transition information for financial managers at our new newspapers."

• Kim Mann, director of human resources, who led a group that, in 45 days, "analyzed the Howard employee benefits, developed networks of health insurance providers in 15 new locations, developed education programs for 2,400 new employees, produced signup materials, trained human resources managers to explain new benefit programs at all locations, signed up 2,400 new employees on Lee's benefits plans, and got all the new employees onto our payroll system flawlessly."

• Dan Hayes, director of communications. "Our communication around our acquisition, both internal and external, was extraordinary," Junck said. "I've never seen anything like it anywhere. Our communication got rave reviews throughout Lee, at our new newspapers and throughout the industry... and we owe it all to Dan."

The President's Award is Lee's highest employee honor. Other 2002 recipients will be chosen this fall for Excellence in News, Innovation and Lee Spirit. In 2001, winners included news teams from the Wisconsin State Journal in Madison, the Independent Record in Helena, Mont., and the Billings Gazette in Billings, Mont., and innovation teams from Madison Newspapers in Wisconsin, The Southern Illinoisan in Carbondale, and The Banner Press, a weekly newspaper in David City, Neb. Lee Spirit winners were Kyla Fraser of the Missoulian in Missoula, Mont.; Jim Galewski of the Winona Daily News in Winona, Minn., and Sherri Jackson of The Journal Times in Racine, Wis. The Bismarck Tribune in Bismarck, N.D., was chosen 2001 Enterprise of the Year, an honor for every employee of the winning newspaper.

Lee Enterprises is based in Davenport, Iowa. In addition to the 45 daily newspapers, Lee owns nearly 200 weekly, shopper and specialty publications, along with associated Internet sites. Lee's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol LEE. More information about Lee Enterprises is available at www.lee.net.

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