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For immediate release
4/19/02

Gannett Announces Executive Appointments

McLEAN, Va. – Several executive appointments were announced today in the Newspaper Division of Gannett Co., Inc.

    Bernard M. Griffin becomes president and publisher of the Press & Sun-Bulletin at Binghamton, N.Y., and a vice president in the East Newspaper Group. He previously was president and publisher of the Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader and a vice president in the South Group.
    Thomas A. Bookstaver succeeds Griffin in Springfield and becomes a vice president in the South Group. He previously was president and publisher of The Post-Crescent at Appleton, Wis., and a vice president in the Midwest Newspaper Group.
    Ellen M. Leifeld succeeds Bookstaver in Appleton. She continues as a vice president in the Midwest Group. She previously was president and publisher of the Battle Creek (Mich.) Enquirer.
    Michael G. Kane becomes a vice president in the Midwest Group. He continues as president and publisher of the Lansing (Mich.) State Journal.

“Each of these appointments reflects both the depth of management talent and our commitment to promote from within whenever possible,” said Gary L. Watson, president of the Newspaper Division.

Griffin is returning to the newspaper where he began his career and served an earlier stint as publisher from 1990 to 1997. He also has served as operations director of The News Journal at Wilmington, Del., and as president and publisher of the St. Cloud (Minn.) Times.

Griffin succeeds Bill Monopoli, who resigned.

Bookstaver joined Gannett in 1973. He has served in financial management roles and as president and publisher of the Valley News Dispatch in Tarentum, Pa., The Herald-Dispatch in Huntington,W.Va., and the Montgomery (Ala.) Advertiser before going to Appleton.

Leifeld held several newsroom management positions after joining Gannett in 1974, including managing editor of the Rochester (N.Y.) Democrat and Chronicle. She became president and publisher of The Ithaca (N.Y.) Journal in 1994 and joined the Battle Creek Enquirer in 1997.

A successor to Leifeld will be named shortly.

Kane was named publisher in Lansing in 2000. He joined Gannett in 1992 as marketing services director of The News Journal in Wilmington. He also served as market development director of The Poughkeepsie Journal and vice president/market development of The Journal News at White Plains, N.Y.

Gannett Co., Inc. is an international news and information company that publishes 95 daily newspapers in the USA, including USA TODAY, the nation’s largest-selling daily newspaper. The company also owns in excess of 300 non-daily publications in the USA and USA WEEKEND, a weekly newspaper magazine. In the United Kingdom, Gannett subsidiary Newsquest plc publishes more than 300 titles, including 15 daily newspapers. Gannett also operates 22 television stations in the United States and is an Internet leader with sites sponsored by most of its TV stations and newspapers including USATODAY.com, one of the most popular news sites on the web.