Released: 02/01/2008

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Jan. 30 -- The McClatchy Company (NYSE: MNI) today named George McCanless as president and publisher of The Telegraph in Macon, Ga.

McCanless previously served as the senior vice president for finance and strategic planning at The News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C. He has been the top finance executive at The News & Observer since joining the newspaper in 2000.

McCanless, 51, has spent 25 years in the newspaper industry as a chief financial officer and finance executive. In Macon, he replaces Pamela J. (P.J.) Browning, who was named president and publisher of McClatchy's daily in Myrtle Beach, S.C., The Sun News, in December.

"George is a seasoned executive with a distinguished record of success at four different newspapers in the East and Southeast," said Gary Pruitt, McClatchy's chairman and chief executive officer. "His leadership and passion for community service will serve The Telegraph well."

At The News & Observer, McCanless was responsible for finance, information systems and the paper's four non-daily community newspapers. He oversaw the conversion of those publications from paid circulation to free while also merging them with The News & Observer's total market coverage program. As a result, The News & Observer's TMC volume grew from 200,000 to 500,000 weekly with the program's operating cash flow increasing by more than 50 percent.

Prior to joining The News & Observer in 2000, McCanless spent three years as director of administration for The Times Herald-Record in Middletown, N.Y., the flagship property of Ottaway Newspapers, the community newspaper division of Dow Jones & Co. Prior to that, from 1996 to 1997, he worked as the chief financial officer of The New Haven Register in Connecticut. McCanless began his newspaper career at The Herald in Rock Hill, S.C., where he worked from 1983 to 1996 as the chief financial officer. McClatchy acquired the newspaper in 1990.

McCanless was born and raised in Salisbury, N.C. He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Wake Forest University.

"George did a tremendous job at The News & Observer, a paper that's delivered internet leadership, editorial excellence and circulation growth while controlling expenses," said McClatchy Vice President, Operations, Lynn Dickerson, who oversees the company's newspapers in Texas and the South. "He's a wonderful fit to join the team in Macon."

McCanless said he is ready and excited to become publisher of The Telegraph.

"It is an honor to be joining such a talented staff at a newspaper with a long tradition of journalistic excellence and community service," he said. "I am eager to become a part of the ongoing effort to expand our audience both in print and online."

McCanless was active with several nonprofits in the Raleigh area and described his community involvement as "one of my personal passions." He served as treasurer for the North Carolina Zoological Society and was a board member and past chairman of Triangle Family Services, a United Way agency helping families and children.

He is married to Rebecca McCanless.

About McClatchy:

The McClatchy Company is the third largest newspaper company in the United States, with 31 daily newspapers, approximately 50 non-dailies and direct marketing and direct mail operations. McClatchy also operates leading local websites in each of its markets which complement its newspapers and extend its audience reach in each market. Together with its newspapers and direct marketing products, these operations make McClatchy the leading local media company in each of its premium high growth markets. McClatchy-owned newspapers include The Miami Herald, The Sacramento Bee, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, The Kansas City Star, The Charlotte Observer, and The (Raleigh) News & Observer.

McClatchy also has a portfolio of premium digital assets. Its leading local websites offer users information, comprehensive news, advertising, e-commerce and other services. The company owns and operates McClatchy Interactive, an interactive operation that provides websites with content, publishing tools and software development. McClatchy operates Real Cities (http://www.RealCities.com), the largest national advertising network of local news websites and owns 14.4% of CareerBuilder, the nation's largest online job site. McClatchy also owns 25.6% of Classified Ventures, a newspaper industry partnership that offers classified websites such as the nation's number two online auto website, cars.com, and the number two rental site, apartments.com. McClatchy is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol MNI.

SOURCE The McClatchy Company

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