NEWS RELEASE Exhibit 99.2

KNIGHT RIDDER
50 WEST SAN FERNANDO ST.
SAN JOSE, CA 95113

Knight Ridder Releases March Statistical Report

SAN JOSE, April 15, 2004 – (KRI:NYSE) – Total advertising revenue was up 5.6% for March and up 2.1% year to date. For the month, retail was up 2.2%, national was up 16.7% and classified was up 5.8%. For the year to date, retail was up 0.3%, national was up 6.0% and classified was up 2.8%.

     Within classified, recruitment was up 7.7% for the month. All but three newspapers had increases in help wanted, including 15 with double-digit gains. Real estate was up 6.4%. Auto was up 2.2%.

     Total operating revenue was up 5.0% for the month and 1.9% for the year to date.

     For the month, total ad revenue was up 14.3% in St. Paul, 8.9% in Philadelphia, 8.2% in Miami, 8.0% in Fort Worth, 7.5% in Kansas City, 7.0% in Contra Costa, 6.7% in Columbia and 5.8% in Charlotte. San Jose was soft.

     Retail for the month was up 10.0% in Philadelphia, 8.5% in St. Paul, 7.0% in Contra Costa, 5.5% in Miami, 3.9% in Kansas City, 2.8% in Fort Worth and 2.7% in Charlotte. San Jose was soft.

     National advertising was up 26.9% in Philadelphia, 26.2% in Charlotte, 22.3% in St. Paul, 17.7% in Contra Costa, 16.7% in Kansas City, 16.3% in Miami, 10.7% in Fort Worth. San Jose was up slightly. Increases in travel, including airlines and cruise lines, were up in all of the major markets. Food/packaged goods and automotive also increased in many markets. Telecommunications and technology were mixed.

     Classified was up 19.6% in St. Paul, 14.6% in Fort Worth, 12.4% in Lexington, 9.1% in Kansas City, 7.9% in Columbia, 7.2% in Miami, 3.9% in Contra Costa and 3.8% in Charlotte. Philadelphia and San Jose were soft.

     Circulation revenue was down 2.3% for March, mostly from discounting. Other revenue was up 41.4% for the month, primarily reflecting strength in earnings from Detroit and increases in alternate distribution revenue and commercial printing.

     Knight Ridder (NYSE: KRI) is the nation’s second-largest newspaper publisher, with products in print and online. The company publishes 31 daily newspapers in 28 U.S. markets, with a readership of 8.7 million daily and 12.6 million Sunday. Knight Ridder also has investments in a variety of Internet and technology companies and two newsprint companies. The company’s Internet operation, Knight Ridder Digital, develops and manages the company’s online properties. It is the founder and operator of Real Cities (www.RealCities.com), the largest national network of city and regional Web sites in more than 100 U.S. markets. Knight Ridder and Knight Ridder Digital are headquartered in San Jose, Calif.

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     For more information, call Vice President/Corporate Relations Polk Laffoon at 408-938-7838 (e-mail: plaffoon@knightridder.com), or Director/Corporate Communications Lee Ann Schlatter at 408-938-7839 (e-mail: lschlatter@knightridder.com), or visit Knight Ridder’s Web site at www.knightridder.com.

STATISTICAL REPORT
For the period of 03/01/04 - 03/28/04

	March							Year-to-date
	2004		2003		Percent Change			2004		2003		Percent Change
REVENUE ($000) — See Notes 1 & 2
Advertising
Retail		83,208		81,409		2.2	%		251,283		250,575		0.3	%
National		26,995		23,129		16.7	%		82,024		77,417		6.0	%
Classified		70,090		66,241		5.8	%		214,571		208,754		2.8	%
Total		180,293		170,779		5.6	%		547,878		536,746		2.1	%
Circulation		43,288		44,292		-2.3	%		139,219		141,927		-1.9	%
Other Revenue		8,877		6,278		41.4	%		25,174		20,640		22.0	%
Total Operating Revenue		232,458		221,349		5.0	%		712,271		699,313		1.9	%
AVERAGE CIRCULATION
(000's of copies including Detroit) - Notes 1 & 2
Morning		3,720		3,715		0.1	%		3,668		3,685		-0.5	%
Evening		178		195		-8.8	%		176		195		-9.3	%
Daily		3,898		3,910		-0.3	%		3,844		3,880		-0.9	%
Sunday		5,291		5,244		0.9	%		5,198		5,211		-0.3	%
ADVERTISING LINAGE
(000's of six-column inches) - Notes 1 & 2
Full-Run ROP
Retail		1,120.8		1,138.5		-1.6	%		3,371.6		3,500.2		-3.7	%
National		209.7		195.1		7.5	%		641.5		615.2		4.3	%
Classified		1,415.0		1,403.6		0.8	%		4,463.6		4,382.7		1.8	%
Total		2,745.5		2,737.2		0.3	%		8,476.7		8,498.1		-0.3	%
Factored Part-Run ROP		202.2		180.6		12.0	%		591.6		559.9		5.7	%
TOTAL PREPRINTS INSERTED		591,092		570,204		3.7	%		1,800,219		1,785,653		0.8	%

Statistical Report
For the period of 03/01/04 - 03/28/04

	March							Year–to–Date
	2004		2003		Percent Change			2004		2003		Percent Change
FULL–RUN ROP ADVERTISING LINAGE DATA
By Markets (000's of six-column inches) – Notes 1 & 2
Akron Beacon Journal		119.4		120.6		-1.0	%		352.9		372.5		-5.3	%
Charlotte Observer		125.0		123.2		1.5	%		377.9		384.7		-1.8	%
Columbia State		91.9		91.8		0.1	%		286.7		287.3		-0.2	%
Contra Costa (Note 3)		123.9		116.6		6.3	%		384.3		357.8		7.4	%
Fort Wayne News-Sentinel,
Journal Gazette		99.8		102.9		-3.0	%		316.4		332.4		-4.8	%
Fort Worth Star Telegram		171.3		173.0		-1.0	%		527.9		548.1		-3.7	%
Kansas City Star		149.5		143.5		4.2	%		462.5		437.9		5.5	%
Lexington Herald-Leader		89.4		89.7		-0.3	%		278.6		270.2		3.1	%
Miami Herald & el Nuevo
Herald		163.3		163.4		-0.1	%		510.2		514.4		-0.8	%
Philadelphia Newspapers		175.8		179.4		-2.0	%		555.4		570.4		-2.6	%
St. Paul Pioneer Press		99.3		92.1		7.8	%		293.0		280.4		4.5	%
San Jose Mercury News		181.4		180.6		0.4	%		575.7		574.3		0.2	%
Wichita Eagle		66.0		66.5		-0.8	%		204.7		206.6		-0.9	%
All Other Dailies		1,089.5		1,093.9		-0.4	%		3,350.5		3,361.1		-0.3	%
Total - Full-Run ROP		2,745.5		2,737.2		0.3	%		8,476.7		8,498.1		-0.3	%

Note 1 - The Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press operate under a joint operating agreement as Detroit Newspapers (DN). Revenue and linage are excluded for 2004 and 2003.

Note 2 - Measured by individual Knight Ridder newspapers. Where necessary, certain previously reported linage has been restated to be consistent with measurement guidelines currently in use.

Note 3 - Full-run ROP advertising linage represents the sum of full-run ROP linage for each of Contra Costa's three newspapers.

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For further information, call Polk Laffoon IV at 408-938-7838

2003 Knight Ridder Consolidated *
Actual (000s)

	Jan 03		Feb 03		Mar 03		1Q 2003
Advertising
Retail	$	87,417	$	81,749	$	81,409	$	250,575
General		29,435		24,853		23,129		77,417
Classified		76,947		65,566		66,241		208,754
Total		193,799		172,168		170,779		536,746
Circulation		53,805		43,830		44,292		141,927
Other Revenue		7,330		7,032		6,278		20,640
Total Operating Revenue	$	254,934	$	223,030	$	221,349	$	699,313

	Apr 03		May 03		Jun 03		2Q 2003
Advertising
Retail	$	109,543	$	84,664	$	81,449	$	275,656
General		31,827		27,014		30,320		89,161
Classified		81,291		66,153		66,263		213,707
Total		222,661		177,831		178,032		578,524
Circulation		54,002		43,225		42,642		139,869
Other Revenue		9,119		7,811		8,630		25,560
Total Operating Revenue	$	285,782	$	228,867	$	229,304	$	743,953

	Jul 03		Aug 03		Sep 03		3Q 2003
Advertising
Retail	$	91,543	$	80,786	$	82,600	$	254,929
General		30,019		22,786		25,399		78,204
Classified		79,160		64,288		68,796		212,244
Total		200,722		167,860		176,795		545,377
Circulation		51,898		42,392		43,338		137,628
Other Revenue		8,196		7,085		8,928		24,209
Total Operating Revenue	$	260,816	$	217,337	$	229,061	$	707,214

	Oct 03		Nov 03		Dec 03		4Q 2003		Year 2003
Advertising
Retail	$	110,602	$	110,261	$	109,480	$	330,343		1,111,503
General		34,265		28,906		28,726		91,897		336,679
Classified		83,106		61,472		52,857		197,435		832,140
Total		227,973		200,639		191,063		619,675		2,280,322
Circulation		53,492		43,628		42,689		139,809		559,234
Other Revenue		11,526		10,058		14,441		36,025		106,435
Total Operating Revenue	$	292,991	$	254,325	$	248,193	$	795,509		2,945,991

* Beginning in February 2004, Knight Ridder changed the way it reports carrier compensation at some newspapers. It now records circulation revenue on a retail, rather than a net, basis. This table provides revised circulation revenue numbers for all of 2003.