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                                                                       Exhibit 5

                      [BAKER & HOSTETLER, LLP-LETTERHEAD]


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                                 October 7, 2002


The E.W. Scripps Company
312 Walnut Street, Suite 2800
Cincinnati, Ohio  45202

Re:      Registration Statement on Form S-3 with respect to $500,000,000
         aggregate principal amount of Debt Securities of The E.W. Scripps
         Company

Dear Sirs:

         We have acted as counsel to The E.W. Scripps Company, an Ohio
corporation (the "Company"), in connection with its Registration Statement on
Form S-3 (the "Registration Statement"), filed under the Securities Act of 1933
(the "Act"), relating to the proposed public offering of up to $500,000,000
aggregate principal amount of the Company's Debt Securities (the "Debt
Securities") to be issued from time to time under an Indenture between the
Company and the Trustee named on the Form T-1 included as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement (the "Indenture").

         We have examined originals, or copies certified or otherwise identified
to our satisfaction, of such documents as we have deemed necessary for the
purposes of this opinion including, without limitation, the Articles of
Incorporation and Code of Regulations of the Company and the forms of Debt
Securities and Indenture filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement.

         Based on the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:

         When (a) the Indenture shall have been duly executed and delivered in
substantially the form filed with the Registration Statement, (b) the Debt
Securities shall have been duly executed and authenticated in accordance with
the terms of the Indenture, (c) the Registration Statement shall have become
effective under the Act, (d) the Indenture shall have been qualified under the
Trust Indenture Act of 1939 and (e) the Debt Securities shall have been issued
and sold as described in the Registration Statement and in a related prospectus
supplement, the Debt Securities will be duly authorized and valid and binding
obligations of the Company, except as may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization or other laws relating to the enforcement of creditors' rights
generally or by general principles of equity.

         We hereby consent to the use of this opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement and to the reference to our firm under "Legal Matters" in
the prospectus comprising a part of the Registration Statement.

                                                     Very truly yours,


                                                     /s/ Baker & Hostetler LLP
                                                     Baker & Hostetler LLP
BH/jk




