<SUBMISSION>
<ACCESSION-NUMBER>0000950152-04-007844
<TYPE>S-8
<PUBLIC-DOCUMENT-COUNT>4
<FILING-DATE>20041103
<DATE-OF-FILING-DATE-CHANGE>20041103
<EFFECTIVENESS-DATE>20041103
<FILER>
<COMPANY-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>SCRIPPS E W CO /DE
<CIK>0000832428
<ASSIGNED-SIC>2711
<IRS-NUMBER>311223339
<STATE-OF-INCORPORATION>OH
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>1231
</COMPANY-DATA>
<FILING-VALUES>
<FORM-TYPE>S-8
<ACT>33
<FILE-NUMBER>333-120185
<FILM-NUMBER>041116409
</FILING-VALUES>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>312 WALNUT STREET
<CITY>CININNATI
<STATE>OH
<ZIP>45202
<PHONE>5139773000
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>312 WALNUT STREET
<CITY>CINCINNATI
<STATE>OH
<ZIP>45202
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
</FILER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>S-8
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>l10215asv8.txt
<DESCRIPTION>THE E.W. SCRIPPS COMPANY
<TEXT>
<PAGE>
    AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON NOVEMBER 3, 2004.
                                               REGISTRATION NO. 333-
================================================================================

                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
                               ------------------
                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                               ------------------
                            THE E.W. SCRIPPS COMPANY
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
                               ------------------

            OHIO                                   31-1223339
(State or other jurisdiction of      (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)
 incorporation or organization)

                          312 WALNUT STREET, SUITE 2800
                             CINCINNATI, OHIO 45202
                                 (513) 977-3000
  (Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of
                   registrant's principal executive offices)

                               ------------------
                            THE E.W. SCRIPPS COMPANY
                          EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)
                               ------------------
                               M. DENISE KUPRIONIS
       VICE PRESIDENT, CORPORATE SECRETARY, AND DIRECTOR OF LEGAL AFFAIRS
                          312 WALNUT STREET, SUITE 2800
                             CINCINNATI, OHIO 45202
                     (Name and address of agent for service)

                                 (513) 977-3000
          (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
                               ------------------
                  PLEASE SEND COPIES OF ALL COMMUNICATIONS TO:

                             WILLIAM APPLETON, ESQ.
                              BAKER & HOSTETLER LLP
                          312 WALNUT STREET, SUITE 3200
                             CINCINNATI, OHIO 45202
                                 (513) 929-3400
                               ------------------
                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
===============================================================================================================================
TITLE OF SECURITIES TO BE        AMOUNT TO BE           PROPOSED MAXIMUM         PROPOSED MAXIMUM         AMOUNT OF
        REGISTERED               REGISTERED(1)         OFFERING PRICE PER       AGGREGATE OFFERING     REGISTRATION FEE
                                                            SHARE(2)                 PRICE(2)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                <C>                     <C>                     <C>                    <C>

  Class A Common Shares,            600,000                  $47.41                 $28,446,000             $3,605
      $.01 par value
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
(1) Pursuant to Rule 416(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this
Registration Statement shall also cover any additional Class A Common Shares
that may become issuable pursuant to the anti-dilution provisions of the
Registrant's Employee Stock Purchase Plan described herein by reason of any
stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization or other similar transaction
effected without the receipt of consideration that increases the number of the
Registrant's outstanding Class A Common Shares.

(2) Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee in
accordance with Rules 457(c) and 457(h)(1) under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended. The proposed maximum aggregate offering price is based upon the average
of the high and low prices of the Registrant's Class A Common Shares traded on
the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. as reported on November 1, 2004.
================================================================================


<PAGE>


    REGISTRATION OF ADDITIONAL SECURITIES UNDER EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN

         With respect to the Class A Common Shares hereby registered under The
E.W. Scripps Company Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the "Plan"), the Registrant's
Registration Statement on Form S-8 as filed with the Commission on November 21,
1997 (File No. 333-40767), referred to as the "Prior Form S-8," is incorporated
herein by reference.

         The Company is registering 600,000 Class A Common Shares under this
Registration Statement. Under the Prior Form S-8, the Company previously
registered for issuance under the Plan 400,000 of its Class A Common Shares (as
adjusted for a subsequent two for one stock split).

                                      -2-
<PAGE>

                                    PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT


ITEM 8. EXHIBITS.

         Exhibit
         Number     Description of Exhibit
         -------    -----------------------


         5          Opinion of Baker & Hostetler LLP
         23.1       Consent of Baker & Hostetler LLP (included in Opinion filed
                    as Exhibit 5 hereto)
         23.2       Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP
         24.2       Power of Attorney (Directors and Officers)
         99.1       The E.W. Scripps Company Employee Stock Purchase Plan(1)


--------------
(1)        Incorporated by reference to the Registrant's Registration Statement
           on Form S-8 (File No. 333-40767), as filed with the Securities and
           Exchange Commission on November 21, 1997.

                                      II-1

<PAGE>

                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, The
E.W. Scripps Company certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it
meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized, in the City of Cincinnati, State of Ohio, on November 2, 2004.

                                    THE E.W. SCRIPPS COMPANY


                                    By:      /s/ Joseph G. NeCastro
                                       ----------------------------------------
                                             Joseph G. NeCastro
                                             Senior Vice President and
                                             Chief Financial Officer

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons on
behalf of the Registrant in the capacities indicated, on November 2, 2004.

SIGNATURE                      TITLE
                  *            Chairman of the Board
------------------------
William R. Burleigh


                  *            President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
------------------------       (Principal Executive Officer)
Kenneth W. Lowe


                               Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
------------------------       (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
Joseph G. NeCastro


                  *            Director
------------------------
John H. Burlingame


                  *            Director
------------------------
Jarl Mohn


                  *            Director
------------------------
Nicholas B. Paumgarten


                  *            Director
------------------------
Nackey E. Scagliotti

                                      S-1
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<S>                                                  <C>
                  *                                  Director
------------------------------------
Jeffrey Sagansky


                  *                                  Director
------------------------------------
Edward W. Scripps


                  *                                  Director
------------------------------------
Paul K. Scripps


                  *                                  Director
------------------------------------
Ronald W. Tysoe


                  *                                  Director
------------------------------------
Julie A. Wrigley


                  *                                  Director
------------------------------------
David A. Galloway
</TABLE>

*Joseph G. NeCastro, by signing his name hereto, does sign this Registration
Statement on behalf of the persons indicated above pursuant to the powers of
attorney duly executed by such persons and filed as one or more Exhibits to this
Registration Statement.

                                   By:      /s/ Joseph G. NeCastro
                                      ---------------------------------------
                                            Joseph G. NeCastro
                                            Attorney-in-Fact

                                      S-2

</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-5
<SEQUENCE>2
<FILENAME>l10215aexv5.txt
<DESCRIPTION>EXHIBIT 5
<TEXT>
<PAGE>
                                                                       Exhibit 5



                                November 3, 2004

The E. W. Scripps Company
28th Floor
312 Walnut Street
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 on the date hereof by
the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") under
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, with respect to the reservation of
600,000 Class A Common Shares, $.01 par value (the "Class A Common Shares"), for
issuance under the Company's Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the "Plan").

         In connection with the foregoing, we have examined the Plan and 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 Plan,
when issued pursuant to the Plan, will have been legally issued and will be
fully paid and nonassessable.

         We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Commission as
Exhibit 5 to the Registration Statement.

                                    Yours very truly,


                                    Baker & Hostetler LLP


</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-23.2
<SEQUENCE>3
<FILENAME>l10215aexv23w2.txt
<DESCRIPTION>EXHIBIT 23.2
<TEXT>
<PAGE>


                                                                    EXHIBIT 23.2


            CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement of
The E. W. Scripps Company and subsidiary companies on Form S-8 of our report
dated March 3, 2004, appearing in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of The E. W.
Scripps Company and subsidiary companies for the year ended December 31, 2003.

/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP
Cincinnati, Ohio
October 29, 2004


</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-24.2
<SEQUENCE>4
<FILENAME>l10215aexv24w2.txt
<DESCRIPTION>EXHIBIT 24.2
<TEXT>
<PAGE>
                                                                    Exhibit 24.2

                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

         KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, THAT:  Each of the undersigned
officers and directors of The E.W. Scripps Company, an Ohio corporation (the
"Company"), has made, constituted and appointed, and by this instrument does
make, constitute and appoint, Kenneth W. Lowe, Richard A. Boehne, Joseph G.
NeCastro, E. John Wolfzorn, Anatolio B. Cruz, III, M. Denise Kuprionis, William
Appleton and Eric J. Geppert, any of whom may act, with full power of
substitution and re-substitution, to affix for such person and in such person's
name, place and stead, in any and all capacities as attorney-in-fact, such
person's signature to a Registration Statement on Form S-8 or other form
registering under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Class A Common Shares
of the Company for issuance to employees of the Company under the Company's
Employee Stock Purchase Plan, and to any and all amendments, post-effective
amendments, supplements and exhibits to such Registration Statement, and to any
and all applications and other documents pertaining thereto, giving and granting
to each such attorney-in-fact full power and authority to do and perform every
act and thing whatsoever requisite and necessary to be done in connection
therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as each of them might or could
do in person, and hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of such
attorneys-in-fact or any such substitute shall lawfully do or cause to be done
by virtue hereof.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Power of Attorney (alone or in multiple
counterparts all of which together shall constitute a single document) has been
signed in the capacities indicated below on October 28, 2004.


<TABLE>
<S>                                                  <C>
/s/ William R. Burleigh                              /s/ Nicholas B. Paumgarten
-----------------------                              --------------------------
William R. Burleigh                                  Nicholas B. Paumgarten
Chairman of the Board                                Director

/s/ Kenneth W. Lowe                                  /s/ Paul K. Scripps
----------------------                               --------------------------
Kenneth W. Lowe                                      Paul K. Scripps
President, Chief Executive Officer and               Director
Director  (Principal Executive Officer)

/s/ Joseph G. NeCastro                               /s/ Edward W. Scripps
----------------------                               --------------------------
Joseph G. NeCastro                                   Edward W. Scripps, Jr.
Senior Vice President and Chief                      Director
Financial Officer (Principal Financial
and Accounting Officer)

/s/ John H. Burlingame                               /s/ Ronald W. Tysoe
----------------------                               --------------------------
John H. Burlingame                                   Ronald W. Tysoe
Director                                             Director

/s/ Jarl Mohn                                        /s/ Julie A. Wrigley
----------------------                               --------------------------
Jarl Mohn                                            Julie A. Wrigley
Director                                             Director

/s/ Jeff Sagansky                                    /s/ David A. Galloway
----------------------                               --------------------------
Jeff Sagansky                                        David A. Galloway
Director                                             Director

                                                     /s/ Nackey E. Scagliotti
                                                     --------------------------
                                                     Nackey E. Scagliotti
                                                     Director
</TABLE>



</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SUBMISSION>
