COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENT LIABILITIES	3 Months Ended
Dec. 28, 2025
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENT LIABILITIES	COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENT LIABILITIES Legal Proceedings We are involved in a variety of legal actions that arise in the normal course of business. Insurance coverage mitigates potential loss for certain of these matters. While we are unable to predict the ultimate outcome of these legal actions, it is our opinion that the disposition of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on our Consolidated Financial Statements, taken as a whole. Stoudemire et al. v. Lee Enterprises, Incorporated (Video Privacy Claim). On December 19, 2022, named Plaintiffs filed a Complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa alleging our news websites violate the Video Privacy Protection Act by disclosing to third parties certain data about users’ video-watching habits. In particular, the Complaint alleged the websites use Facebook Pixel, a technology that allegedly links a user’s Facebook profile to videos the user watches on our website. The claimants are asserting class action claims and allege statutory damages of $2,500 per class member, punitive damages, and attorneys’ fees. In July 2023, the Court denied our Motion to Dismiss. This claim was submitted for coverage under the our media insurance policy. The parties successfully mediated the case on November 5, 2024, and the court granted final approval of the class action settlement on August 14, 2025. The entire $9.5 million settlement amount was paid by our insurance carriers in October 2025. Fetes et al. v. Lee Enterprises. Incorporated (Cyber Incident). On June 12, 2025, Sarah Fetes filed a Complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa alleging claims arising out of a February 2025 cybersecurity incident, during which a third-party threat actor potentially accessed personal information of past and present Company employees existing on Company systems. Fetes and five additional named Plaintiffs filed a Consolidated Complaint on August 11, 2025. Plaintiffs allege that we failed to properly secure and safeguard personally identifiable information collected as part of our regular business practices. Plaintiffs sought damages for invasion of privacy and misuse of the compromised data, on behalf of themselves and a class consisting of approximately 39,700 individuals who received data breach notifications. This claim was submitted for coverage under our media insurance policy. The parties have reached a tentative settlement, all of which will be paid by our insurance carriers, in an amount that will be publicly disclosed through the court process. The settlement is subject to required court approval and open to objection by class members. We anticipate final approval of the settlement by August 2026. The probable settlement liability and insurance receivable are recorded within “Compensation and other accrued liabilities” and “Prepaids and other” on the Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 28, 2025. Lineup Systems Corporation v. Lee Enterprises, Incorporated. In July 2025, Lineup filed suit against us for breach of contract, breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and quantum meruit arising from the contract between Lee and Lineup for the purchase and installation of software. The suit claims $7.0 million in damages for failure to pay owed amounts, attorneys fees and interest. We filed a counter claim alleging breach of contract and fraudulent inducement. Trial has been set for October 18, 2027. Lineup filed a Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings for various counts and oral arguments were heard by the Court on the Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings on January 16, 2026. The Court is expected to rule in the next 90 days. Discovery is ongoing in this case and the outcome is uncertain at this time.

We are involved in a variety of legal actions that arise in the normal course of business. Insurance coverage mitigates potential loss for certain of these matters. While we are unable to predict the ultimate outcome of these legal actions, it is our opinion that the disposition of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on our Consolidated Financial Statements, taken as a whole.

Stoudemire et al. v. Lee Enterprises, Incorporated (Video Privacy Claim). On December 19, 2022, named Plaintiffs filed a Complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa alleging our news websites violate the Video Privacy Protection Act by disclosing to third parties certain data about users’ video-watching habits. In particular, the Complaint alleged the websites use Facebook Pixel, a technology that allegedly links a user’s Facebook profile to videos the user watches on our website. The claimants are asserting class action claims and allege statutory damages of $2,500 per class member, punitive damages, and attorneys’ fees. In July 2023, the Court denied our Motion to Dismiss. This claim was submitted for coverage under the our media insurance policy. The parties successfully mediated the case on November 5, 2024, and the court granted final approval of the class action settlement on August 14, 2025. The entire $9.5 million settlement amount was paid by our insurance carriers in October 2025.

Fetes et al. v. Lee Enterprises. Incorporated (Cyber Incident). On June 12, 2025, Sarah Fetes filed a Complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa alleging claims arising out of a February 2025 cybersecurity incident, during which a third-party threat actor potentially accessed personal information of past and present Company employees existing on Company systems. Fetes and five additional named Plaintiffs filed a Consolidated Complaint on August 11, 2025. Plaintiffs allege that we failed to properly secure and safeguard personally identifiable information collected as part of our regular business practices. Plaintiffs sought damages for invasion of privacy and misuse of the compromised data, on behalf of themselves and a class consisting of approximately 39,700 individuals who received data breach notifications. This claim was submitted for coverage under our media insurance policy. The parties have reached a tentative settlement, all of which will be paid by our insurance carriers, in an amount that will be publicly disclosed through the court process. The settlement is subject to required court approval and open to objection by class members. We anticipate final approval of the settlement by August 2026. The probable settlement liability and insurance receivable are recorded within “Compensation and other accrued liabilities” and “Prepaids and other” on the Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 28, 2025.

Lineup Systems Corporation v. Lee Enterprises, Incorporated. In July 2025, Lineup filed suit against us for breach of contract, breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and quantum meruit arising from the contract between Lee and Lineup for the purchase and installation of software. The suit claims $7.0 million in damages for failure to pay owed amounts, attorneys fees and interest. We filed a counter claim alleging breach of contract and fraudulent inducement. Trial has been set for October 18, 2027. Lineup filed a Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings for various counts and oral arguments were heard by the Court on the Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings on January 16, 2026. The Court is expected to rule in the next 90 days. Discovery is ongoing in this case and the outcome is uncertain at this time.