FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

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Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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Filed By Romeo & Dye's Instant Form 4 Filer
www.section16.net

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person* Watson Gary L.	2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol Gannett Co., Inc. ("GCI")		6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) Director 10% Owner X Officer (give title below) Other (specify below) President/Gannett Newspaper Division
(Last) (First) (Middle) 7950 Jones Branch Drive	3. I.R.S. Identification Number of Reporting Person, if an entity (voluntary)	4. Statement for Month/Day/Year 12/03/02
(Street) McLean, VA 22107		5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Day/Year)	7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line) X Form filed by One Reporting Person Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City) (State) (Zip)	Table I — Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Trans- action Date (Month/ Day/ Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/ Year)	3. Trans- action Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 & 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Follow- ing Reported Transactions(s) (Instr. 3 & 4)	6. Owner- ship Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).

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FORM 4 (continued)

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security

(Instr. 3)

2. Conver-
sion or
Exercise
Price of Derivative Security

3. Trans-
action Date

(Month/
Day/
Year)

3A. Deemed
Execution
Date,
if any
(Month/
Day/
Year)

4. Trans-
action
Code

(Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)

(Instr. 3, 4 & 5)

6. Date Exercisable
and Expiration
Date
(Month/Day/
Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 & 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)

9. Number of
Derivative
Securities
Beneficially
Owned
Following
Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)

10. Owner-
ship Form
of Deriv-
ative
Security:
Direct (D)
or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)

Code

(A)

(D)

Date Exer-cisable

Expira-
tion
Date

Title

Amount or Number of
Shares

Employee Stock Option (right to buy)

$70.21

12/03/02

111,000

⁽¹⁾

12/03/12

Common Stock

111,000

Explanation of Responses:

(1) The option vests in four equal annual installments beginning on December 3, 2003.

By: /s/ Todd A. Mayman
Attorney-in-Fact
**Signature of Reporting Person

December 4, 2002
Date

**Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations.
See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).

Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed.
If space is insufficient, See Instruction 6 for procedure.

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POWER OF ATTORNEY



KNOW ALL BY THESE PRESENTS, THAT THE UNDERSIGNED HEREBY CONSTITUTES AND APPOINTS

EACH OF THOMAS L. CHAPPLE, BARBARA W. WALL AND TODD A. MAYMAN, SIGNING SINGLY,

THE UNDERSIGNED'S TRUE AND LAWFUL ATTORNEY-IN-FACT TO:



(1) execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the undersigned's capacity

as an officer and/or director of Gannett Co., Inc. (the "Company"), Forms 3, 4,

5 and 144 in accordance with the Securities laws of the United States and the

rules thereunder;



(2) do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the undersigned which

may be necessary or desirable to complete and execute any such Forms and timely

file such forms with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and

any stock exchange or other authority where such filing is required; and



(3) take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with the

foregoing which, in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may be of benefit to,

in the best interest of, or legally required by, the undersigned, it being

understood that the documents executed by such attorney-in-fact on

behalf of the undersigned pursuant to this Power of Attorney shall be in such

form and shall contain such terms and conditions as such attorney-in-fact may

approve in such attorney-in-fact's discretion.



The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full power and

authority to do and perform any and every act and thing whatsoever requisite,

necessary, or proper to be done in the exercise of any of the rights and powers

herein granted, as fully to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or

could do if personally present, with full power of substitution or revocation,

hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorney-in-fact, or such

attorney-in-fact's substitute or substitutes, shall lawfully do or cause to be

done by virtue of this power of attorney and the rights and powers herein

granted.  The undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing attorneys in-fact, in

serving in such capacity at the request of the undersigned, are not assuming,

nor is the Company assuming, any of the undersigned's responsibilities to comply

with Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.



This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect until the

undersigned is no longer required to file Forms with respect to the

undersigned's holdings of and transactions in securities

issued by the Company, unless earlier revoked by the undersigned in a signed

writing delivered to the foregoing attorneys-in-fact.



IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to be

executed as of this 1st day of October, 2002.





/s/ Gary L. Watson          WITNESS: /s/ Jennifer L. Albosta



Signature                                Jennifer L. Albosta





Gary L. Watson



Print Name

GANNETT CO INC /DE/ 4