November 13, 2008 16:45 ET

Lee Agri-Media Honored as Enterprise of the Year

DAVENPORT, IA--(Marketwire - November 13, 2008) - Lee Agri-Media, a network of 14 farm newspapers and online sites serving 13 states, has been selected as Enterprise of the Year by Lee Enterprises, Incorporated (NYSE: LEE).

"Lee Agri-Media turned in another spectacular performance in 2008," said Mary Junck, chairman, president and chief executive officer. "Year after year, by continuing to deliver increasing value for readers and advertisers, Brian Kroshus and his team have achieved exceptional growth in an always-tough environment for producers and suppliers. Their successes provide additional inspiration all across our company, especially in this current period of national economic stress."

In addition to leading Lee Agri-Media, Kroshus is publisher of The Bismarck Tribune.

Lee Agri-Media has been a finalist for the award three times in four years. Achievements in 2008 include continued expansion of publications and online services, resulting in record growth in revenue and cash flow for the fifth year in a row.

With targeted distribution of nearly 500,000 along with online services, Lee Agri-Media has grown into the country's largest network of agricultural publications.

Weekly publications are Iowa Farmer Today, Missouri Farmer Today, Midwest Marketer, Livestock Roundup, and Agri-View in Wisconsin. Biweekly publications are Farm & Ranch Guide in North Dakota, Minnesota Farm Guide, Tri-State Neighbor in South Dakota, The Prairie Star in Montana, Midwest Messenger in Nebraska, Midwest Producer in Kansas and Ag Weekly in Idaho. The newspapers have targeted distribution of nearly 500,000. Online: www.leeagrimedia.com. Additional online-only services include www.farmequipmentcenter.com, www.agads.com, www.livestockroundup.net and www.cattleseller.com.

Other finalists for the company's highest honor were:

--  TownNews.com, which provides technology, design services, consulting,
    training and online sales support for more than 1,500 newspapers in the
    United States and Canada. It was a finalist for the second time in five
    years. Achievements in 2008 included record revenues, growth of ad
    impressions to nearly two billion a month, and creation of a new content
    management system to facilitate online publication. TownNews.com is
    headquartered in Moline, Ill., and has offices in Rensselaer, N.Y., and New
    York City. Regional sales offices are located in Georgia, Minnesota,
    California, Indiana, Missouri and Oregon. The general manager is Marc
    Wilson.
    
--  Cayuga Media Company in Auburn, N.Y., which includes the oldest daily
    newspaper in Lee, The Citizen, founded in 1816, and www.auburnpub.com,
    along with The Skaneateles Journal and www.skaneatelesjournal.com.
    Achievements in 2008 included advertising revenue growth even in real
    estate and auto advertising, continued rapid online growth, cash flow
    growth and conversion from afternoon to morning publication. The publisher
    for the last 10 years has been Rick Emanuel, who was promoted recently to
    publisher of Lee's newspaper in Glens Falls, N.Y.
    
--  Kauai Publishing Company in Lihue, Hawaii, which includes The Garden
    Island, the westernmost daily newspaper in the United States, and
    www.kauaiworld.com. Other publications include Kauai Business Report, Homes
    and Essential Kauai. Achievements in 2008 included innovative sales and
    promotional programs, increased market share, circulation growth and a
    doubling of online revenue. The publisher is Mark Lewis.
    
--  The Lincoln Journal Star in Lincoln, Neb., which includes
    www.journalstar.com and niche publications. The Journal Star also received
    a 2008 Lee President's Award for Innovation, for a promotion that
    culminated in a subscriber winning a $300,000 home. Other achievements in
    2008 include strong performances in revenue, circulation, market share and
    online growth. The publisher is John Maher. The newspaper has received Lee
    President's Awards for news or innovation for four years in a row and was
    honored as Enterprise of the Year in 2000.
    

Details and photos of other Lee President's Awards winners are available at www.lee.net.

Lee Enterprises is a premier publisher of local news, information and advertising in primarily midsize markets, with 49 daily newspapers and a joint interest in four others, rapidly growing online sites and more than 300 weekly newspapers and specialty publications in 23 states. Lee's newspapers have circulation of 1.5 million daily and 1.9 million Sunday, reaching more than four million readers daily. Lee's online sites attract 12 million unique visitors monthly, and Lee's weekly publications have distribution of more than 4.5 million households. Lee's markets include St. Louis, Mo.; Lincoln, Neb.; Madison, Wis.; Davenport, Iowa; Billings, Mont.; Bloomington, Ill.; and Tucson, Ariz. Lee stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol LEE.