Lee Enterprises Advertising Revenue Increases 4.0% in May

Business Wire, June 16, 2005

DAVENPORT, Iowa -- Lee Enterprises, Incorporated (NYSE:LEE), reported today that same property advertising revenue increased 4.0 percent in May compared with a year ago.

On a same property(3) basis, which excludes the impact of acquisitions and divestitures made in the current or prior year, retail advertising revenue increased 4.4 percent. Classified advertising revenue increased 2.5 percent, with employment up 14.4 percent, automotive down 7.6 percent, real estate up 12.7 percent, other newspaper classified categories down 12.2 percent, and classified in non-daily publications down 0.6 percent. Niche publication revenue decreased 4.8 percent, due primarily to the loss of a larger publication in one market, and online advertising revenue increased 28.3 percent. Circulation revenue decreased 2.0 percent.

Total same property operating revenue increased 3.0 percent. Including the effect of acquisitions and divestitures, total advertising revenue increased 4.8 percent, and total operating revenue increased 3.3 percent.

PULITZER RESULTS

On June 3, 2005, Lee acquired Pulitzer Inc. and its 14 daily newspapers, including the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

For the four-week fiscal period ended May 29, 2005, the last month before the acquisition, Pulitzer recorded that advertising revenue rose 2.9 percent and total revenue increased 2.0 percent.

On a same property basis for the period, Pulitzer advertising revenue increased 2.3 percent, and total revenue was up 1.6 percent. Advertising revenue in St. Louis rose 1.4 percent, with total revenue there up 1.0 percent. Same property advertising revenue in Pulitzer's other newspapers rose 4.6 percent and total revenue rose 2.9 percent.

In Tucson, where Pulitzer owns 50 percent of the partnership and which is accounted for using the equity method, advertising revenue rose 3.7 percent and total revenue was up 3.1 percent.

Lee will include Pulitzer results in its financial statements beginning in June 2005.

Tables follow.

With the acquisition of Pulitzer, Lee owns 52 daily newspapers and a joint interest in six others. Lee also operates associated online services and more than 300 weekly newspapers, shoppers and classified and specialty publications. Lee is based in Davenport, Iowa, and 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.

LEE ENTERPRISES, INCORPORATED
                   Revenue and Statistical Summary
                             (Unaudited)

                          OPERATING REVENUE


                               May                  Year to Date
----------------------------------------------------------------------
(Thousands)              2005     2004   %        2005     2004   %
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Advertising revenue:
 Retail.............  $26,884  $25,751   4.4% $199,204 $192,861   3.3%
 National...........    1,555    1,512   2.8    14,029   12,176  15.2
 Classified:
  Daily newspapers:
   Employment.......    4,966    4,342  14.4    32,373   27,959  15.8
   Automotive.......    3,367    3,645  (7.6)   25,904   26,825  (3.4)
   Real estate......    3,501    3,107  12.7    24,253   21,819  11.2
   All other........    2,241    2,552 (12.2)   15,489   15,719  (1.5)
  Other publications    2,943    2,962  (0.6)   21,468   21,218   1.2
----------------------------------------------------------------------
 Total classified
  revenue...........   17,018   16,608   2.5   119,487  113,540   5.2
 Niche publications.      984    1,034  (4.8)    7,543    7,244   4.1
 Online.............    1,388    1,082  28.3     9,269    7,014  32.1
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Total advertising
 revenue............   47,829   45,987   4.0   349,532  332,835   5.0
Circulation.........   11,026   11,250  (2.0)   84,944   87,053  (2.4)
Commercial printing.    1,703    1,734  (1.8)   13,781   13,305   3.6
Online services and
 other..............    2,372    2,119  11.9    17,376   15,769  10.2
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Total same property
 operating revenue..   62,930   61,090   3.0   465,633  448,962   3.7
Acquisitions &
 divestitures.......    1,137      901    NM    10,493    3,857    NM
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Total operating
 revenue............  $64,067  $61,991   3.3% $476,126 $452,819   5.1%
======================================================================


                  DAILY NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING VOLUME


                               May                  Year to Date
----------------------------------------------------------------------
(Thousands of
 Inches)                 2005     2004   %        2005     2004   %
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Retail..............      933      949 (1.7)%    7,065    7,257 (2.6)%
National............       50       44  13.6       388      363   6.9
Classified..........    1,018      979   4.0     7,526    6,994   7.6
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, same property    2,001    1,972   1.5%   14,979   14,614   2.5%
======================================================================

NOTES:

(1) The month had one more Tuesday and one fewer Saturday than the
    prior period. The year to date had one more Tuesday and one fewer
    Wednesday and Thursday than the prior period.

(2) Certain amounts as previously reported have been reclassified to
    conform with the current period presentation. The prior period has
    been restated for comparative purposes, and the reclassifications
    have no impact on earnings.

(3) Same property comparisons exclude acquisitions and divestitures
    made in the current and prior year. Same property revenue also
    excludes revenue of Madison Newspapers, Inc. (MNI). Lee owns 50%
    of the capital stock of MNI, which for financial reporting
    purposes is reported using the equity method of accounting. Same
    property comparisons also exclude corporate office costs.

(4) The Company's fiscal year ends on September 30.

(5) The Company disclaims responsibility for updating information
    beyond the release date.