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                                                           Exhibit 24(b)

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY
                                -----------------

                  We, the undersigned directors and officers of The E.W. Scripps
Company, an Ohio corporation (the "Company"), hereby constitute and appoint
Daniel J. Castellini, M. Denise Kuprionis and William Appleton as our true and
lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, each with full power of substitution and
resubstitution, for us and in our stead, in any and all capacities to execute
and file registration statements on Form S-8 pursuant to the Securities Act of
1933 in order to register (i) Class A Common Shares under such Act for issuance
(A) to directors of the Company under the Company's 1994 Non-Employee Directors'
Stock Option Plan as it may be amended now or from time to time, (B) to officers
and key employees of the Company under the Company's 1997 Long-Term Incentive
Plan, and (C) to senior officers and selected executives of the Company under
the Company's Deferred Compensation and Phantom Stock Plan (the "Deferred
Compensation Plan") and (ii) interests to be offered or sold pursuant to the
Deferred Compensation Plan, and all amendments to such registration statements,
and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in
connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto
each said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform
each and every act and thing necessary or advisable to be done in and about the
premises, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and
agent or substitute or substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue
hereof.

                  IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we have executed this power on May 22,
1997 in Cincinnati, Ohio.


 /s/ LAWRENCE A. LESER                       /s/ DANIEL J. MEYER
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Lawrence A. Leser, Chairman                  Daniel J. Meyer, Director


 /s/ CHARLES E. SCRIPPS                      /s/ NICHOLAS B. PAUMGARTEN
- ----------------------------                 ----------------------------------
Charles E. Scripps, Director                 Nicholas B. Paumgarten, Director


 /s/ RONALD W. TYSOE                         /s/ JOHN H. BURLINGAME
- ----------------------------                 ----------------------------------
Ronald W. Tysoe, Director                    John H. Burlingame, Director


 /s/ ROBERT P. SCRIPPS                       /s/ JULIE A. WRIGLEY
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Robert P. Scripps, Director                  Julie A. Wrigley, Director


 /s/ PAUL K. SCRIPPS                         /s/ DANIEL J. CASTELLINI
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Paul K. Scripps, Director                    Daniel J. Castellini, Senior Vice
                                             President, Finance & Administration



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 /s/ WILLIAM R. BURLEIGH
- ----------------------------               
William R. Burleigh, President,
Chief Executive Officer and Director