Lee Enterprises Advertising Revenue Increases 2.9% in January

Business Wire, Feb 16, 2006

DAVENPORT, Iowa -- Lee Enterprises, Incorporated (NYSE:LEE), reported today that same property advertising revenue in January increased 2.9 percent over a year ago. The former Pulitzer Inc. newspapers, including the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, reported advertising revenue growth totaling 2.2 percent.

On a same property(1) basis, which excludes the impact of acquisitions and divestitures made in the current or prior year, retail advertising revenue increased 2.3 percent. Classified advertising revenue increased 1.3 percent, with employment up 13.6 percent, automotive down 17.2 percent, real estate up 3.9 percent, other newspaper classified categories up 3.5 percent, and classified in non-daily publications down 1.3 percent. National advertising revenue decreased 4.9 percent. Online advertising revenue increased 35.5 percent. Niche publication advertising revenue increased 15.3 percent. Circulation revenue decreased 2.6 percent.

Total same property operating revenue increased 1.5 percent. Including the effect of acquisitions and divestitures, total advertising revenue increased 79.1 percent, and total operating revenue increased 71.9 percent, due primarily to the acquisition of Pulitzer in June 2005.

PULITZER RESULTS

Pulitzer revenue is reported in statistical periods. For the statistical reporting period ended Jan. 29, 2006, comparing the current year period to last year, which is before Lee's ownership, Pulitzer advertising revenue increased 2.2 percent, with total revenue up 1.7 percent. In St. Louis, advertising revenue increased 1.2 percent, with strong national sales, and total revenue increased 1.3 percent. In the other former Pulitzer newspapers, advertising revenue increased 4.3 percent, and total revenue increased 2.6 percent.

In the 50 percent partnership in Tucson, which is accounted for using the equity method and is not included in the Pulitzer revenue described above, advertising revenue for the January statistical reporting period rose 6.8 percent, and total revenue increased 5.0 percent.

Tables follow.

Lee Enterprises is a premier publisher of newspapers in midsize markets, with 52 dailies and a joint interest in six others, a rapidly growing online business and more than 300 weekly newspapers and specialty publications in 23 states. Lee's newspapers have circulation of 1.7 million daily and 1.9 million Sunday, reaching more than four million readers daily, and its weekly publications have distribution of more than 4.5 million households. Lee's newspapers include such diverse markets as Napa, Calif.; Bloomington, Ill.; Billings, Mont.; Escondido, Calif.; Madison, Wis.; and St. Louis, Mo. 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.

LEE ENTERPRISES, INCORPORATED
                    Revenue and Statistical Summary
                              (Unaudited)

                           OPERATING REVENUE

                          January              Fiscal Year to Date
----------------------------------------------------------------------
(Thousands)         2006     2005      %      2006      2005      %
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Advertising
 revenue:
 Retail.......... $21,610   $21,120   2.3 % $105,478  $104,400   1.0 %
 National........   1,815     1,908   (4.9)    8,500     8,457    0.5
 Classified:
  Daily
   newspapers:
    Employment...   4,720     4,154   13.6    17,041    14,936   14.1
    Automotive...   2,530     3,055  (17.2)   10,893    12,918  (15.7)
    Real estate..   3,098     2,982    3.9    12,624    12,203    3.4
    All other....   1,721     1,662    3.5     7,531     7,365    2.3
  Other
   publications..   2,286     2,316   (1.3)   10,391    10,703   (2.9)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
 Total classified
  revenue........  14,355    14,169    1.3    58,480    58,125    0.6
 Online..........   1,444     1,066   35.5     5,606     4,190   33.8
 Niche
  publications...   1,554     1,348   15.3     4,132     4,011    3.0
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Total advertising
 revenue.........  40,778    39,611    2.9   182,196   179,183    1.7
Circulation......  10,867    11,159   (2.6)   42,411    43,589   (2.7)
Commercial
 printing........   1,501     1,535   (2.2)    6,527     6,914   (5.6)
Online services
 and other.......   2,035     2,061   (1.3)    8,349     8,298    0.6
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Total same
 property
 operating
 revenue.........  55,181    54,366    1.5   239,483   237,984    0.6
Acquisitions &
 divestitures....  38,586       176     NM   156,923       642     NM
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Total operating
 revenue......... $93,767   $54,542  71.9 % $396,406  $238,626  66.1 %
======================================================================


                  DAILY NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING VOLUME

                          January              Fiscal Year to Date
----------------------------------------------------------------------
(Thousands of
 Inches)            2006     2005      %      2006      2005      %
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Retail...........     736       780  (5.6)%    3,627     3,757  (3.5)%
National.........      43        45   (4.4)      184       203   (9.4)
Classified.......     900       908   (0.9)    3,710     3,802   (2.4)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, same
 property........   1,679     1,733  (3.1)%    7,521     7,762  (3.1)%
======================================================================

NOTES:
(1) 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), in which Lee
    owns a 50% share. It is reported using the equity method of
    accounting.
(2) January had one more Tuesday and one fewer Saturday than the prior
    period. The year to date had one more Tuesday and one fewer Friday
    than the prior period.
(3) 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.
(4) The Company's fiscal year ends on September 30.
(5) The Company disclaims responsibility for updating information
    beyond the release date.