MATEJA BECOMES REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR TO CARS.COM'S KICKINGTIRES.

Automotive writer Jim Mateja, renowned for his work at the Chicago Tribune, becomes a regular contributor to Cars.com's KickingTires blog, writing about industry issues, new models, trends and other issues.

"Jim has long been one of the most respected journalists in the business, and we are very excited to have someone with his credentials contributing to KickingTires," said Cars.com managing editor Patrick Olsen. "Cars.com has worked hard to build a complete editorial staff of automotive experts who provide consumers with the content they need to make a smart purchasing decision. We are delighted to have Jim working with us."

Mateja started at the Chicago Tribune on the business copy desk in 1967 and became the paper's automotive writer in 1970. His first review was of a Ford Pinto, which ran in the Tribune in 1971. He holds a degree in education with a major in English from Western Illinois University.

In addition to covering the automotive beat, Mateja launched a Sunday Transportation section devoted to all things motorized.

Since its launch in June 2006, KickingTires has been a popular site covering the issues that matter most to new-car shoppers. Whether it's in the form of car reviews, tips on how to get the best deal or information about the latest automotive technologies, KickingTires aims to bring consumers the most up-to-date news and information to help them make the best decision when choosing a car.

Cars.com and KickingTires content is written by Cars.com's team of unbiased automotive journalists. Jim Mateja's reviews and other stories can be viewed on KickingTires at http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/jim_mateja.

About Cars.com

Partnered with more than 200 leading metro newspapers, television stations and their websites, Cars.com (http://www.cars.com/) is the most comprehensive destination for those looking to buy a new or used car. The site lists more than 2 million vehicles from 13,000 dealer customers, classified advertisers and private parties to offer consumers the best selection of new and used cars online, as well as the content, tools and advice to support their shopping experience. Recently selected by Forbes.com as a Best of the Web site for car shopping, Cars.com combines powerful inventory search tools and new-car configuration with pricing information, photo galleries, buying guides, side-by-side comparison tools, original editorial content and reviews to help millions of car shoppers connect with sellers each month.

Launched in June 1998, Cars.com is a division of Classified Ventures, LLC (http://www.classifiedventures.com/), which is owned by leading media companies, including Belo (NYSE:BLC , Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE:GCI) , The McClatchy Company (NYSE:MNI) , Tribune Company (NYSE:TRB and The Washington Post Company (NYSE:WPO .

For more information, visit http://www.cars.com or call 312/601-5163.