Lee Enterprises, Incorporated has dismissed BDO USA, P.C. as its independent registered public accounting firm, effective upon the completion of the company's audit for the fiscal year ending September 27, 2026. The decision was made by the Audit and Risk Management Committee on September 2, 2026, following a competitive evaluation process regarding potential audit firm rotation.
The company stated that BDO’s reports for the fiscal years ended September 28, 2025, and September 29, 2024, did not contain adverse opinions or disclaimers and were not qualified or modified. Regarding disagreements, Lee Enterprises reported no disagreements with BDO on accounting principles, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope during the two most recent fiscal years and the interim period leading up to the report.
However, the company disclosed one reportable event: a material weakness in internal control over financial reporting that existed through June 23, 2024. This weakness related to the design and implementation of controls for assessing internally generated information and evaluating third-party service providers in connection with revenue transactions. The company noted that this material weakness was remediated as of September 29, 2024.
In conjunction with the dismissal, Lee Enterprises has appointed Grant Thornton LLP as its new independent registered public accounting firm. The appointment is effective following the completion of BDO’s fiscal 2026 audit and the filing of the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K. The appointment followed a competitive request for proposal process overseen by the Audit Committee.
BDO has been authorized to respond to inquiries from Grant Thornton regarding the material weakness. The company has requested that BDO provide a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission confirming the statements made in this report. A copy of BDO’s letter, dated September 3, 2026, is filed as Exhibit 16.1 to the report.
