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                                                                       EXHIBIT 5





                                  June 5, 2002

The E. W. Scripps Company
312 Walnut Street
28th Floor
Cincinnati, Ohio  45202

Gentlemen:

         We have acted as counsel to The E. W. Scripps Company, an Ohio
corporation (the "Company"), in connection with the Company's Registration
Statement on Form S-8 (the "Registration Statement") filed under the Securities
Act of 1933 (the "Act") relating to the reservation of 9,158,700 Class A Common
Shares, $.01 par value (the "Class A Common Shares"), of the Company for
issuance under the Company's 1997 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the "Incentive
Plan").

         In connection with the foregoing, we have examined: (a) the Articles of
Incorporation and Code of Regulations of the Company, (b) the Incentive Plan,
and (c) such records of the corporate proceedings of the Company and such other
documents as we deemed necessary to render this opinion.

         Based on such examination, we are of the opinion that:

         1. The Company is a corporation duly organized and validly existing
under the laws of the State of Ohio.

         2. The Class A Common Shares available for issuance under the Incentive
Plan, when issued pursuant to the Incentive Plan, will have been legally issued
and will be fully paid and nonassessable.

         We hereby consent to the use of this Opinion as Exhibit 5 to the
Registration Statement and the reference to our firm in Item 5 of Part II of the
Registration Statement.

                                                     Very truly yours,



                                                     Baker & Hostetler LLP






