Seventeen more newspapers have joined Yahoo Inc.'s online publishing group, bringing the total to 415 dailies and 140 weeklies, the Associated Press reported today.

The Columbus Dispatch and 16 of The New York Times Co.'s regional newspapers have joined, Yahoo executives told the AP.

However, the number does not include the New York Times itself.

The group's first goal is to “integrate the online help-wanted classified advertising listing of newspapers with Yahoo's online job search database HotJobs,” which is on schedule, said Lem Lloyd, who runs the group for Yahoo, according to the AP.

Lloyd told the AP the partnership has begun “bearing fruit” for Yahoo and publishers, but he would not give specific dollar figures.