Hearst vs Lee Enterprises

Joseph F. D’Angelo, Former Chairman and President of Hearst’s King Features Syndicate, Dies at 96

New press release added: Joseph F. D’Angelo, Former Chairman and President of Hearst’s King Features Syndicate, Dies at 96

Chris Tribbey Named Editor of the Midland Reporter-Telegram

Hearst announced that Chris Tribbey has been named Editor of the Midland Reporter-Telegram, a new press release on their news page.

Publishers Lobby Congress for 'Bad Bots' Bill

Over 300 news publishing executives, including leaders from Condé Nast, Hearst Magazines, USA Today Co., and The Seattle Times, traveled to Washington D.C. to lobby Congress for the Stealth Bot Prohibition Act. The bill would require AI stealth crawlers to identify themselves, preventing them from disguising traffic and bypassing publishers' scraping blocks. Organized by News/Media Alliance, the event follows a similar New York state law and aims to address the growing problem of AI bots scraping content without permission. Executives met with lawmakers to emphasize the need for transparency, control, and fair compensation when their content is used for AI training. The initiative highlights the increasing urgency as AI bot traffic has surged significantly, with TollBit detecting over 22 billion AI bot scrapes in the first half of 2026.

• More than 300 publishing executives lobbied Congress for the Stealth Bot Prohibition Act.
• Key participants included Condé Nast, Hearst Magazines, USA Today Co., and The Seattle Times.
• The bill would require AI stealth crawlers to identify themselves.

Lee Enterprises and USA TODAY Co. Realign Local Newspaper Portfolios

Complementary Transaction Supports Local Journalism in Arizona, Montana and South Dakota

8-K Financial Filing Analysis for Lee Enterprises (2026-09-09)

On September 2, 2026, the Audit and Risk Management Committee of Lee Enterprises approved the dismissal of BDO USA, P.C. as the company's independent registered public accounting firm, effective upon completion of the fiscal year 2026 audit and the filing of Form 10-K. The decision follows a competitive evaluation and rotation process. Concurrently, Grant Thornton LLP was appointed as the successor independent auditor for the fiscal year ending September 26, 2027.

• Dismissal of BDO USA, P.C. approved on September 2, 2026, effective upon completion of the fiscal year 2026 audit (fiscal year ending September 27, 2026).
• Appointment of Grant Thornton LLP as independent auditor approved for the fiscal year ending September 26, 2027.
• No disagreements on accounting principles or auditing scope occurred during fiscal years 2024 and 2025; a previously identified material weakness in revenue internal controls was fully remediated as of September 29, 2024.

8-K Financial Filing Analysis for Lee Enterprises (2026-09-30)

On September 24, 2026, Lee Enterprises appointed Gregory Hoffmann to its Board of Directors and to the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, serving until the 2028 annual stockholders meeting. Gregory Hoffmann, Co-CEO of Hoffmann Family of Companies and CEO of Hoffmann Commercial Real Estate, is the son of David Hoffmann, the Company's Chairman and majority stockholder. The appointment deepens governance alignment with the Hoffmann family following significant capital and commercial transactions earlier in 2026. These include a February 5, 2026 private placement in which David Hoffmann acquired 10,909,440 shares, and a May 14, 2026 five-year management agreement under which Lee Enterprises manages Hoffmann Media Group publications for a $135,000 quarterly base fee plus 20% variable EBITDA sharing on newly acquired assets.

• Gregory Hoffmann was appointed to the Board of Directors and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, effective September 24, 2026, with a term running through the 2028 annual meeting.
• Gregory Hoffmann is the son of David Hoffmann, Lee Enterprises' Chairman and majority owner, who acquired 10,909,440 shares via a private placement on February 5, 2026.
• Under a related-party five-year agreement dated May 14, 2026, Lee Enterprises manages Hoffmann Media Group properties for a fixed fee of $135,000 per quarter plus a 20% variable fee on post-effective acquired EBITDA.