SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                       Pursuant to Section 12 or 15(d) of
                       The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                           Date of Report: May 3, 2001


                          LEE ENTERPRISES, INCORPORATED
              -----------------------------------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


   Delaware                    1-6227                           42-0823980
- ---------------              -----------                     -------------------
(State or other              (Commission                       (IRS Employer
jurisdiction of              File Number)                    Identification No.)
incorporation)


   215 N. Main Street, Davenport, IA                             52801-1924
- ---------------------------------------                          ----------
(Address of principal executive offices)                           ZIP Code


                                 (319) 383-2100
               ---------------------------------------------------
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)



Item 5.  Other Events

On May 3, 2001 the Registrant issued the following press release  announcing the
election  of Carl G.  Schmidt as Vice  President,  Chief  Financial  Officer and
Treasurer of the Registrant.

NEWS RELEASE

Carl Schmidt becomes CFO of Lee Enterprises

DAVENPORT, Iowa (May 3, 2001)-- Carl G. Schmidt has been elected vice president,
chief financial officer and treasurer of Lee Enterprises (NYSE: LEE).

Schmidt,  44, formerly was senior vice president and chief financial  officer of
Johnson  Outdoors  Inc.  in Racine,  Wis.,  and a partner  of a Big Five  public
accounting firm in Milwaukee.

Mary E. Junck,  Lee  Enterprises  president and chief  executive  officer,  said
Schmidt  brings a broad  array of  experiences  and  skills  that  will help Lee
sharpen its focus on expanding in newspaper publishing.

"He's a terrific addition to our team," she said. "He's a strategic thinker with
lots of ideas.  Also,  his background  fits our needs very well,  especially his
considerable experience in directing acquisitions."

She said he began his duties today at the corporate headquarters in Davenport.

Schmidt said he decided to apply for the job after doing  extensive  research of
Lee Enterprises and its people.

"And everything I've seen in the interview  process has impressed me even more,"
he said. "Lee has an extremely strong financial position, and I'm convinced that
this is a dynamic company with exciting growth prospects. "

Schmidt grew up in Milwaukee, a son of Hungarian immigrants,  and graduated from
Marquette  University.  He  began  his  career  in  1978 as a  certified  public
accountant at the accounting firm of KPMG, LLP, in Milwaukee.  After a series of
promotions,  he became a partner in 1988,  responsible  for audits,  mergers and
acquisitions, public offerings and new business development.

He joined  Johnson  Outdoors  Inc.  in Racine in 1994 and served as senior  vice
president and chief  financial  officer,  secretary  and treasurer  beginning in
1995.  Johnson  Outdoors,  a publicly traded $400 million spinoff of SC Johnson,
produces branded outdoor recreation products.

Schmidt   and  his  wife,   Janice,   have  two  sons  at  the   University   of
Wisconsin-Madison and a son and a daughter at home.

Lee  Enterprises  owns 23 daily  newspapers and a joint interest in five others.
Lee's daily newspapers include the Wisconsin State Journal in Madison, Wis.; the
Lincoln Journal Star in Lincoln,  Neb.; the Quad-City Times in Davenport,  Iowa,
and the Billings  Gazette in Billings,  Mont. Lee also owns more than 100 weekly
newspapers,  shoppers and  classified  and  specialty  publications,  along with
associated online services. Lee's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange
under the symbol LEE. More  information  about Lee  Enterprises  is available at
www.lee.net.

This news release  contains  certain  forward-looking  statements that are based
largely on the Company's current  expectations and are subject to certain risks,
trends,  and uncertainties  that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those anticipated.  Among such risks, trends, and uncertainties are changes
in advertising demand, newsprint prices, interest rates, regulatory rulings, and
other  economic  conditions  and the  effect of  acquisitions,  investments  and
dispositions on the Company's results of operations or financial condition.  The
words  "believe,"  "expect,"   "anticipate,"   "intends,"  "plans,"  "projects,"
"considers,"  and  similar   expressions   generally  identify   forward-looking
statements.   Readers  are  cautioned  not  to  place  undue  reliance  on  such
forward-looking statements, which are as of the date of this news release.

For  further  information,  please  contact:  Daniel K. Hayes,  Lee  Enterprises
director of communications, dan.hayes@lee.net, (563) 383-2163.



                                   Signatures

     Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                      LEE ENTERPRISES, INCORPORATED

                                       By: /s/ Mary E. Junck
                                           -------------------------------------
                                           Mary E. Junck
                                           President and Chief Executive Officer

                                       Dated:  May 3, 2001