

                      THE E. W. SCRIPPS COMPANY


                          Index to Exhibits
                                   
                                   
  Exhibit
    No.                       Item                            Page


     12       Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges               E-2

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<TABLE>                                                                                                                        
RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES                                                                                    EXHIBIT 12
                                                                                                                                
<CAPTION>                                                                                                                      
( in thousands )                                                          Three months ended            Six months ended         
                                                                              June 30,                       June 30,      
                                                                       1994             1993          1994               1993
<S>                                                                 <C>              <C>          <C>                <C>
EARNINGS AS DEFINED:                                                                                                           
Earnings from operations before income taxes after                                                                             
     eliminating undistributed earnings of 20%- to                                                                             
     50%-owned affiliates                                           $  91,190        $  45,523    $  139,864         $  107,042
Fixed charges excluding capitalized interest and                                                                               
     preferred stock dividends of majority-owned                                                                               
     subsidiary companies                                               5,985            8,483        11,985             17,667
                                                                                                                               
Earnings as defined                                                 $  97,175        $  54,006    $  151,849         $  124,709
                                                                                                                               
FIXED CHARGES AS DEFINED:                                                                                                      
Interest expense, including amortization of                                                                                    
     debt issue costs                                               $   4,613        $   7,148    $    9,272         $   15,059
Interest capitalized                                                                         9                               53
Portion of rental expense representative                                                                                       
     of the interest factor                                             1,156            1,182         2,303              2,318
Preferred stock dividends of majority-owned                                                                                    
     subsidiary companies                                                  20               23            40                 45
Share of interest expense related to guaranteed debt                                                                           
     50%-owned affiliated company                                         216              153           410                290
                                                                                                                               
Fixed charges as defined                                            $   6,005        $   8,515    $   12,025         $   17,765
                                                                                                                               
RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES                                      16.18             6.34         12.63               7.02
                                                                                                                               
</TABLE>
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