Released: 01/07/2009

The McClatchy Company (NYSE:MNI) today named Eric E. Johnston as president and publisher of The Modesto Bee in California.

Johnston is the vice president of interactive media and classified advertising at The Modesto Bee, where he has worked since 2000. He becomes the first publisher in McClatchy history tapped from the company’s digital ranks. Johnston replaces Margaret R. Randazzo, who resigned last month to pursue an opportunity outside of the newspaper industry.

"Eric is an outstanding young executive who represents a new generation of leadership," said Gary Pruitt, McClatchy's chairman and CEO. "He has proven himself on the digital side of our business. That online leadership and experience will serve Modesto well as we continue our evolution into a 21st century multimedia company."

Johnston, 37, joined The Modesto Bee in July 2000 as the director of online services responsible for The Modesto Bee's website, modbee.com, and a small internet staff.

His responsibilities grew over the years commensurate with Modesto's online traffic and revenue growth. In 2004, he was promoted to vice president of interactive media.

In 2007, his responsibilities expanded beyond online. That year Johnston was named vice president of interactive media and audience development and was responsible for the paper's overall marketing and community relations in addition to online strategy. In 2008, Johnston assumed additional responsibility overseeing classified advertising.

"We're delighted to promote from within and appoint Eric to this important post," said Frank Whittaker, McClatchy vice president, operations, who oversees the company's California newspapers. "Eric has a deep affinity for the Central Valley and his unique experience is a tremendous asset as we confront today’s challenges."

In 2002, Johnston initiated a popular community program called "WebWednesdays," a series of free technology classes open to the public and taught by Modesto Bee employees, including Johnston. Subjects have included digital photography, web design, cyber safety and a "Blogging Bootcamp."

Johnston has been active in several community groups over the years. He serves as immediate past-president of the Central Valley Professional Exchange, a service and social networking organization of young executives. He is vice president on the executive board for Modesto Crime Stoppers. He's a member of the Board of Trustees for the Education Foundation of Stanislaus County, which provides financial support for extra-curricular public school programs, and a member of the Board of Trustees for the Center for Human Services, an organization focused on helping area families and children in need.

Johnston is a native of California's San Joaquin Valley. He was born in Modesto and raised in Stockton. He earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from California State University, Fresno and began his newspaper career in 1993 as a news photographer at the Lodi News-Sentinel. In 1996, Johnston moved to the Doylestown Intelligencer-Record in Pennsylvania as the newsroom systems editor responsible for the overall newsroom publishing systems. He built the Intelligencer-Record's first website and was later promoted to web engineer for Calkins Newspapers, supporting three newspaper web operations, including those of the Intelligencer-Record. In 1999, Johnston returned to California and joined The Fresno Bee as online managing editor. He moved to The Modesto Bee a year later.

"We are entering a new and challenging era at The Modesto Bee, and I am excited about the opportunities ahead of us," Johnston said. "The habits of our readers are changing as are the needs of our advertisers. I'm confident that with the cooperation and teamwork we have in Modesto, we’ll meet these challenges with creativity and style."

Johnston is married to Susan Johnston. The couple have two daughters, Brittany and Morgan.

About McClatchy

The McClatchy Company is the third largest newspaper company in the United States, with 30 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 extend its audience reach. The websites offer users comprehensive news and information, advertising, e-commerce and other services. Together with its newspapers and direct marketing products, these interactive 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 owns a portfolio of premium digital assets, including 14.4% of CareerBuilder, the nation's largest online job site, and 25.6% of Classified Ventures, a newspaper industry partnership that offers two of the nation's premier classified websites: the auto website, cars.com, and the rental site, apartments.com. McClatchy is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol MNI.

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