CORPORATE GOVERNANCE GUIDELINES OF TRIBUNE PUBLISHING COMPANY (Adopted as of August 4, 2014; Amended as of January 20, 2016) The Board of Directors (the Board ) of Tribune Publishing Company (the Company ) is elected by the stockholders of the Company to oversee the Company s management and operations. The Board sets policy for the Company, assists with strategic planning, selects the Chief Executive Officer and monitors the performance of the Chief Executive Officer, and provides management with appropriate advice and feedback concerning the business and operations of the Company. The Board has adopted these Corporate Governance Guidelines to assist the Board in the exercise of its responsibilities. These guidelines are in addition to, and are not intended to change or interpret, any federal or state law or regulation, including the Delaware General Corporation Law, or the Company s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the Certificate of Incorporation ) or Amended and Restated By-laws (the By-laws ). These guidelines may be modified from time to time by the Board as it deems appropriate. 1. Director Qualifications and Selection of Board Members The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for reviewing with the Board annually the requisite skills and characteristics of director candidates as well as the Board as a whole. This assessment will take into consideration any requirements of independence, as well as the skills and experience of candidates and the needs of the Board. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will recommend to the Board appropriate criteria for the selection of new directors and periodically review the criteria adopted by the Board and, if deemed desirable, recommend to the Board changes to such criteria. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will identify and select, or recommend that the Board select, Board candidates the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee believes are qualified and suitable to become members of the Board consistent with the criteria for selection of new directors adopted from time to time by the Board. Director candidates should demonstrate strong values and discipline, high ethical standards, a commitment to full participation on the Board and its committees, and relevant career experience, along with other skills and characteristics that meet the needs of the Board. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider whether candidates meet applicable independence standards where appropriate and evaluate any potential conflicts of interest with respect to each candidate. 2. Director Independence The Board will have a majority of independent directors who will satisfy the independence requirements of the New York Stock Exchange relating to directors.
The Board will review and determine the independence of each director annually. 3. Board Size The Board presently has six members. The number of directors shall not be less than one. In conducting its annual assessment of the composition of the Board, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee shall make recommendations for changes in the size of the Board as appropriate, taking into account the goal of having a Board size appropriate to provide diversity of thought and experience, as well as individual accountability. The Board does not feel that it is appropriate to limit the number of public company boards on which a director may serve. 4. Office of Chairman A Chairman of the Board will be elected by the Board from among its members to preside at all meetings of the Board. It is the policy of the Board that it may choose in its discretion whether to separate or combine the offices of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer on a case-by-case basis. If the Board chooses to combine the offices of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, a Lead Director will be appointed annually by the independent directors. 5. Term Limits and Director Retirement There are no established term limits for service on the Board. 6. Director Responsibilities The Board will be responsible for the management of the business and affairs of the Company. Each director will act in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. Each director, will, in the performance of such director s duties, be fully protected in relying in good faith upon the records of the Company and upon such information, opinions, reports or statements presented to the Company by any of the Company s officers or employees, or committees of the Board, or by any other person as to matters such director reasonably believes are within such other person s professional or expert competence and who has been selected with reasonable care by or on behalf of the Company. 2
7. Board Meetings Regular meetings of the Board shall be held on such dates, and at such times and places as are necessary to carry out the Board s responsibilities. Additional meetings may be called in accordance with the By-laws. The Board may also take action from time to time by unanimous written consent in accordance with the By-laws. Directors are expected to attend all or substantially all Board meetings and meetings of committees on which they serve each year, and to spend the time needed and meet as frequently as necessary to properly discharge their responsibilities. 8. Board Materials To the extent practicable, appropriate materials and data will be distributed to the directors before Board meetings and committee meetings so as to allow adequate time for consideration of key issues and general preparation for the meeting. Directors should review any such materials in advance of the meeting. 9. Agenda The Chairman will establish the agenda for each Board meeting and, to the extent practicable, distribute it in advance of each meeting. Board members may request that additional items be included on the agenda, and may raise items for discussion and consideration that are not on the agenda for that meeting. 10. Executive Sessions The non-management directors will meet in executive session without management present at each regularly scheduled Board meeting. The Chairman shall preside at such meetings unless the Chairman is not a non-management director, in which case the Lead Director shall preside (or the chair of the Audit Committee, if the Board has not elected a Lead Director). The name of the person presiding at any such meeting will be disclosed in the annual proxy statement. 11. Confidential Information Pursuant to their fiduciary duties of loyalty and care, each director is required to protect and keep confidential all non-public information obtained due to his or her directorship position absent the express or implied permission of the Board to disclose such information. Moreover, any breach of confidentiality by a director would undermine the mutual trust and respect needed for effective Board operations and limit the full and frank discussion among members. Accordingly, no director shall use Confidential Information (as defined below) for his or her own personal benefit or to benefit persons or entities outside the Company; and 3
no director shall disclose Confidential Information outside the Company to any third party or person (including, without limitation, any principals or employees of entities that employ or have some other relationship with the director and any person that nominated or proposed the nomination of the director), either during or after his or her service as a director of the Company, except with authorization of the Board or as may be otherwise required by law. Confidential Information includes all non-public information entrusted to or obtained by a director by reason of his or her position on the Board, such as information regarding the strategy, business, finances and operations of the Company, minutes, reports and materials of the Board and its committees, and other documents identified as confidential by the Company, including but not limited to non-public information concerning: the Company s financial condition, prospects or plans, its marketing and sales programs and research and development information, as well as information relating to acquisitions, divestitures and actions relating to the Company s stock; possible transactions with other companies or information about the Company s suppliers, licensors or joint venture partners, which the Company is under an obligation to maintain as confidential; and the proceedings and deliberations of the Board and its committees, and the discussions and decisions between and among employees, officers and directors. The obligations described above continue even after service on the Board has ended. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a director may engage and share information with his or her legal counsel under attorney-client privilege in connection with fulfilling his or her duties as a director of the Company, provided that such counsel does not have, and does not represent any other person having, interests that are adverse to those of the Company. In addition, the director shall instruct any such counsel not to use Confidential Information for any purpose other than to give the director advice solely in his or her capacity as a director of the Company for the purpose of assisting the director in discharging his or her duties as a director of the Company. A director shall also instruct such counsel to keep Confidential Information confidential and to not disclose Confidential Information to any third party or person, other than as required under applicable law. In addition and notwithstanding any restrictions herein or in the Company s Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, if a director is a designee or representative of a stockholder of the Company, disclosure of Confidential Information to such stockholder would be permitted if the stockholder has entered into a confidentiality agreement in favor of the Company approved in writing by the Company, provided in any event that (i) the Confidential Information would not be used in any manner adverse or detrimental to the Company and (ii) disclosure of the 4
Confidential Information to the stockholder would not breach a director s duty of loyalty to the Company and all of its stockholders. If a director, his or her counsel, or a stockholder described in the preceding paragraph is requested, or required under applicable law, to disclose any Confidential Information, the director shall promptly notify the Company to permit the Company to seek a protective order or take other action that it in its discretion deems appropriate, and the director, its counsel, and such stockholder shall cooperate in its efforts to obtain a protective order or other reasonable assurance that confidential treatment will be accorded the Confidential Information. If, in the absence of a protective order, the director, his or her counsel, or such a stockholder is compelled as a matter of law to disclose any Confidential Information pursuant to legal process or applicable law, the director, his or her counsel, or such a stockholder may disclose only the part of the Confidential Information as is required by law to be disclosed, provided that the director, his or her counsel, or such a stockholder will advise and consult with the Company and its counsel as to such disclosure and its nature and wording prior to making such disclosure, and the director, his or her counsel, and such a stockholder will use reasonable best efforts to obtain confidential treatment for the information to be disclosed. 12. Board Committees There are currently three Board Committees: Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Committee members will be appointed by the Board upon recommendation of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Each committee will have its own charter. The charters will set forth the purposes and responsibilities of the committees, qualifications for committee membership, procedures for annual evaluation of committee performance and such other matters as the Board deems appropriate. The chair of each committee will consult with the Chairman of the Board to develop the committee s agenda and meeting schedule. The Board may, from time to time, establish or maintain additional committees as necessary or appropriate, subject to the By-laws and Delaware General Corporation Law. 13. Audit Committee The Audit Committee s duties and responsibilities will be set forth in the Audit Committee Charter and include all of the responsibilities of an audit committee under the New York Stock Exchange and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules and such other matters as may from time to time be delegated to the Audit Committee by the Board. Each member of the Audit Committee will satisfy the independence and other requirements of the 5
New York Stock Exchange and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission relating to directors and Audit Committee members. 14. Compensation Committee The Compensation Committee s duties and responsibilities will be set forth in the Compensation Committee Charter and include all of the responsibilities of a compensation committee under the New York Stock Exchange rules and such other matters as may from time to time be delegated to the Committee by the Board. Each member of the Compensation Committee will satisfy the independence requirements of the New York Stock Exchange relating to directors. 15. Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee s duties and responsibilities will be set forth in the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Charter and include all of the responsibilities of a nominating and corporate governance committee under the New York Stock Exchange rules and such other matters as may from time to time be delegated to the Committee by the Board. Each member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will satisfy the independence requirements of the New York Stock Exchange relating to directors. 16. Director Access to Officers and Employees The Company shall provide the Board will full and free access to all officers and employees of the Company, and, as necessary and appropriate, independent advisors. The Board will request the regular attendance at each Board Meeting of the senior officers of the Company as it deems appropriate. The Board should exercise judgment to ensure that its contact with management does not distract officers from their jobs or disturb the business operations of the Company. 17. Director Compensation The Board will be responsible for setting director compensation. The Compensation Committee will be responsible for periodically reviewing the compensation of the Company s independent directors and making recommendations to the Board with respect thereto. Directors fees and emoluments should not exceed what is customary for a company of the size and stature of the Company. In making such compensation determinations and in making determinations with respect to a director s independence, the Board and the Compensation Committee will consider and critically evaluate the questions that may be raised if fees and emoluments exceed what is customary or if the Company makes substantial charitable contributions to organizations with which a director is affiliated, or enters into consulting contracts with (or provides other indirect forms of compensation to) a director. 6
18. Director Orientation and Continuing Education The Company will have an education and orientation program for new directors addressing the Company s corporate structure, operations, key legal and financial issues, and the Company s industry in general. Directors will be provided with information regarding corporate governance issues, the Company s compliance program and the structure and procedures of the Board and the committees on which the directors will serve. 19. Loans to Officers and Directors The Company shall not, directly or indirectly, extend or maintain credit, arrange for or renew an extension of credit in the form of a personal loan to or for any director or executive officer. 20. Chief Executive Officer Evaluation and Management Succession The Compensation Committee will conduct an annual review of the Chief Executive Officer s performance, in accordance with the provisions of its charter. The Board will be provided with a copy of such review. The Board will consider from time to time the strength in management to achieve the Company s goals. Every year, the Chief Executive Officer will report to the Board on succession planning. The report will include policies and principles for chief executive officer selection and performance review, as well as policies regarding succession in the case of an emergency or the retirement of the Chief Executive Officer. 21. Annual Performance Evaluation The Board will conduct an annual self-evaluation and evaluate each committee to determine whether it is functioning effectively. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will oversee the evaluation and report findings to the Board. 22. Board Interaction with Shareholders, the Press, Customers, Etc. The Chief Executive Officer and, as appropriate, designated members of senior management speak for the Company. Individual directors may, on occasion and with the knowledge of management, meet or otherwise communicate with interested parties. Absent unusual circumstances or as contemplated by the committee charters or the Company s Regulation FD Disclosure Policy, such communications will be made only at the request of management. 7