EXHIBIT 99.2


   Statement Under Oath of Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial
   Officer Regarding Facts and Circumstances Relating To Exchange Act Filings

I, Gary R. Effren, state and attest that:

         (1)      To the best of my knowledge, based upon a review of the
                  covered reports of Knight-Ridder, Inc., and, except as
                  corrected or supplemented in a subsequent covered report:

                  -        no covered report contained an untrue statement of a
                           material fact as of the end of the period covered by
                           such report (or in the case of a report on Form 8-K
                           or definitive proxy materials, as of the date on
                           which it was filed); and

                  -        no covered report omitted to state a material fact
                           necessary to make the statements in the covered
                           report, in light of the circumstances under which
                           they were made, not misleading as of the end of the
                           period covered by such report (or in the case of a
                           report on Form 8-K or definitive proxy materials, as
                           of the date on which it was filed).

         (2)      I have reviewed the contents of this statement with the
                  Company's audit committee.

         (3)      In this statement under oath, each of the following, if filed
                  on or before the date of this statement, is a "covered
                  report":

                  -        Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Commission
                           of Knight-Ridder, Inc. on March 29, 2002;

                  -        all reports on Form 10-Q, all reports on Form 8-K and
                           all definitive proxy materials of Knight-Ridder, Inc.
                           filed with the Commission subsequent to the filing of
                           the Form 10-K identified above; and

                  -        any amendments to any of the foregoing.

/s/ Gary R. Effren                                    Subscribed and sworn to
--------------------------------                      before me this 3rd day
Gary R. Effren                                        of August, 2002.
Senior Vice President/Finance and
Chief Financial Officer                               /s/ R.E. Standish
August 3, 2002                                        ------------------------
                                                      Notary Public

                                                      My Commission Expires:
                                                      12-30-2002