NEWS RELEASE Exhibit 99.2

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

Knight Ridder Releases June Statistical Report

     SAN JOSE, July 22, 2004 – (KRI:NYSE) – Total advertising revenue was up 3.2% for June and up 2.2% year to date. For the month, retail was up 2.1%, national was down 8.5% and classified was up 10.6%. For the year to date, retail was up 0.2%, national was up 1.1% and classified was up 5.1%.

     Within classified, recruitment was up 16.0% for the month. Twenty-five of 27 newspapers had increases in help wanted, with 24 in double digits. San Jose was up 38.5%, Columbia was up 25.8%, Miami was up 23.1%, Akron was up 20.1%, Contra Costa was up 18.9%, Fort Worth was up 16.2%, Charlotte was up 15.0% and Kansas City was up 11.9%. Real estate was up 9.8% for the month, and auto was up 0.9%.

     Total operating revenue was up 1.7% for the month and 2.0% for the year to date.

     Please note: During the quarter, certain newspapers reclassified some specific categories of retail revenue to national revenue for all periods in 2004 and 2003. These reclassifications were done in order to have consistency in reporting, both internally and among our peer newspapers. In the tabular material attached to this report, we are adding a table of restated numbers going back to the beginning of 2003 for consistency of comparison.

     For the month, total ad revenue was up 9.3% in Columbia, 6.9% in San Jose, 6.2% Akron, 4.6% in Kansas City, 2.8% in Charlotte, 2.5% in Fort Worth and 2.1% in Contra Costa. Philadelphia and Miami were soft.

     Retail for the month was up 6.7% in St. Paul, 6.3% in Columbia, 4.3% in Akron, 2.8% in Kansas City, 1.7% in Contra Costa, 1.1% in Philadelphia and 1.0% in Fort Worth. Miami and San Jose were soft.

     National advertising was up 21.0% in Columbia, 17.6% in Akron, 5.1% in San Jose, 2.5% in Kansas City and 0.7% in Charlotte. Philadelphia, Miami, Saint Paul and Fort Worth were soft. Travel, national financial and pharmaceuticals were up for many of the markets. Telecom and technology were mixed, while automotive was soft in most of the large markets.

     Classified was up in all but one of the major markets: up 19.1% in San Jose, 11.4% in Fort Worth, 10.9% in Miami, 9.3% in Philadelphia, 9.3% in Contra Costa, 8.3% in Kansas City and 5.6% in Charlotte. St. Paul was soft.

     Circulation revenue was down 1.6% for June, mostly from discounting. Other revenue was down 12.7%, due to a decrease in earnings from Detroit.

     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 05/31/04 - 06/27/04

	June							Year-to-Date
	2004		2003		Percent Change			2004		2003		Percent Change
REVENUE ($000) — See Notes 1 & 2
Advertising
Retail		80,724		79,086		2.1	%		509,769		508,664		0.2	%
National		30,806		33,687		-8.6	%		191,484		189,415		1.1	%
Classified		72,173		65,259		10.6	%		438,338		417,191		5.1	%
Total		183,703		178,032		3.2	%		1,139,591		1,115,270		2.2	%
Circulation		41,962		42,642		-1.6	%		275,615		281,796		-2.2	%
Other Revenue		7,534		8,629		-12.7	%		57,281		46,199		24.0	%
Total Operating Revenue		233,199		229,303		1.7	%		1,472,487		1,443,265		2.0	%
AVERAGE CIRCULATION
(000's of copies including Detroit) - Notes 1 & 2
Morning		3,469		3,452		0.5	%		3,618		3,626		-0.2	%
Evening		173		185		-6.7	%		175		194		-10.1	%
Daily		3,642		3,637		0.1	%		3,792		3,820		-0.7	%
Sunday		5,035		5,030		0.1	%		5,144		5,163		-0.4	%
ADVERTISING LINAGE
(000's of six-column inches) - Notes 1 & 2
Full-Run ROP
Retail		1,072.2		1,082.8		-1.0	%		6,847.8		7,044.4		-2.8	%
National		257.8		285.3		-9.6	%		1,596.1		1,620.7		-1.5	%
Classified		1,511.6		1,471.0		2.8	%		9,238.2		9,056.9		2.0	%
Total		2,841.6		2,839.1		0.1	%		17,682.1		17,722.0		-0.2	%
Factored Part-Run ROP		204.1		190.1		7.4	%		1,240.5		1,173.2		5.7	%
TOTAL PREPRINTS INSERTED		594,980		562,039		5.9	%		3,752,260		3,726,260		0.7	%

Statistical Report
For the period of 05/31/04 - 06/27/04

	June							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		128.4		126.0		1.9	%		754.0		779.6		-3.3	%
Charlotte Observer		125.0		132.4		-5.6	%		788.6		822.8		-4.2	%
Columbia State		94.1		99.0		-4.9	%		585.6		607.1		-3.5	%
Contra Costa (Note 3)		126.7		130.9		-3.2	%		795.5		767.8		3.6	%
Fort Wayne News-Sentinel,
Journal Gazette		110.8		112.8		-1.8	%		675.3		687.4		-1.8	%
Fort Worth Star Telegram		183.5		186.5		-1.6	%		1,123.7		1,151.8		-2.4	%
Kansas City Star		160.6		158.8		1.1	%		989.5		960.9		2.9	%
Lexington Herald-Leader		90.3		97.3		-7.2	%		577.0		579.4		-0.4	%
Miami Herald & el Nuevo
Herald		147.1		158.5		-7.2	%		995.7		1,022.3		-2.6	%
Philadelphia Newspapers		182.3		183.5		-0.7	%		1,155.0		1,168.0		-1.1	%
St. Paul Pioneer Press		99.9		107.2		-6.8	%		626.9		633.5		-1.0	%
San Jose Mercury News		198.5		192.5		3.1	%		1,202.9		1,185.7		1.5	%
Wichita Eagle		75.9		69.7		8.9	%		437.4		439.8		-0.5	%
All Other Dailies		1,118.5		1,084.0		3.2	%		6,975.0		6,915.9		0.9	%
Total - Full-Run ROP		2,841.6		2,839.1		0.1	%		17,682.1		17,722.0		-0.2	%

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

Knight Ridder Consolidated
Actual (000s)

	Jan 03		Feb 03		Mar 03		1Q 2003
Advertising
Retail	$	83,329	$	79,061	$	78,976	$	241,366
National		34,447		28,612		26,346		89,405
Classified		76,023		64,495		65,457		205,975
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	$	106,063	$	82,149	$	79,086	$	267,298
National		36,066		30,257		33,687		100,010
Classified		80,532		65,425		65,259		211,216
Total		222,661		177,831		178,032		578,524
Circulation		54,002		43,225		42,642		139,869
Other Revenue		9,119		7,811		8,629		25,559
Total Operating Revenue	$	285,782	$	228,867	$	229,303	$	743,952

	Jul 03		Aug 03		Sep 03		3Q 2003
Advertising
Retail	$	88,225	$	78,450	$	80,066	$	246,741
National		34,068		25,793		28,607		88,468
Classified		78,429		63,617		68,122		210,168
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	$	107,190	$	106,696	$	105,600	$	319,486		1,074,891
National		38,576		33,111		33,425		105,112		382,995
Classified		82,207		60,832		52,038		195,077		822,436
Total		227,973		200,639		191,063		619,675		2,280,322
Circulation		53,492		43,628		42,690		139,810		559,234
Other Revenue		11,525		10,060		14,442		36,027		106,435
Total Operating Revenue	$	292,990	$	254,327	$	248,195	$	795,512		2,945,991

Knight Ridder Consolidated
Actual (000s)

	Jan 04		Feb 04		Mar 04		1Q 2004
Advertising
Retail	$	82,740	$	78,447	$	80,657	$	241,844
National		33,997		29,445		30,603		94,045
Classified		76,972		65,984		69,033		211,989
Total		193,709		173,876		180,293		547,878
Circulation		52,742		43,183		43,284		139,209
Other Revenue		8,086		8,217		8,881		25,184
Total Operating Revenue	$	254,537	$	225,276	$	232,458	$	712,271

	Apr 04		May 04		June 04		2Q 2004
Advertising
Retail	$	104,283	$	82,918	$	80,724	$	267,925
National		35,965		30,668		30,806		97,439
Classified		84,798		69,378		72,173		226,349
Total		225,046		182,964		183,703		591,713
Circulation		52,602		41,842		41,962		136,406
Other Revenue		10,907		13,656		7,534		32,097
Total Operating Revenue	$	288,555	$	238,462	$	233,199	$	760,216