Summary of Quarterly Operating Results and Comprehensive Income (Unaudited) (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Quarterly Financial Information [Table Text Block]

(in thousands, except per share amounts)		First Quarter		Second Quarter		Third Quarter		Fourth Quarter
2011 Quarterly Operating Results
Operating Revenues
	Education	$	626,631	$	624,844	$	615,884	$	597,689
	Advertising		177,384		193,352		170,553		213,255
	Circulation and subscriber		214,523		216,607		212,144		213,183
	Other		31,076		34,337		34,059		39,312
			1,049,614		1,069,140		1,032,640		1,063,439
Operating Costs and Expenses
	Operating		481,313		506,049		504,001		481,805
	Selling, general and administrative		443,876		411,610		393,508		403,058
	Depreciation of property, plant and equipment		63,021		63,690		62,644		64,018
	Amortization of intangible assets		6,164		6,779		8,603		6,813
	Impairment of goodwill		―		―		11,923		―
			994,374		988,128		980,679		955,694
Income from Operations			55,240		81,012		51,961		107,745
	Equity in earnings (losses) of affiliates, net		3,737		3,138		(1,494)		568
	Interest income		982		997		994		1,174
	Interest expense		(7,961)		(7,960)		(8,667)		(8,638)
	Other (expense) income, net		(24,032)		(2,591)		(29,650)		1,073
Income from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes			27,966		74,596		13,144		101,922
Provision for Income Taxes			10,400		27,500		16,600		41,800
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations			17,566		47,096		(3,456)		60,122
(Loss) Income from Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax			(1,937)		(1,333)		(2,510)		1,609
Net Income (Loss)			15,629		45,763		(5,966)		61,731
Net (Income) Loss Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests			(14)		40		(16)		(17)
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to The Washington Post
	Company		15,615		45,803		(5,982)		61,714
Redeemable Preferred Stock Dividends			(461)		(230)		(226)		―
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to The Washington Post
	Company Common Stockholders	$	15,154	$	45,573	$	(6,208)	$	61,714
Amounts Attributable to The Washington Post Company
	Common Stockholders
Income (loss) from continuing operations		$	17,091	$	46,906	$	(3,698)	$	60,105
(Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of tax			(1,937)		(1,333)		(2,510)		1,609
Net income attributable to The Washington Post Company
	common stockholders	$	15,154	$	45,573	$	(6,208)	$	61,714
Per Share Information Attributable to The Washington Post
	Company Common Stockholders
Basic income (loss) per common share from continuing operations		$	2.11	$	5.91	$	(0.50)	$	7.82
Basic (loss) income per common share from discontinued
	operations		(0.24)		(0.17)		(0.32)		0.21
Basic net income (loss) per common share		$	1.87	$	5.74	$	(0.82)	$	8.03
Diluted income (loss) per common share from continuing
	operations	$	2.11	$	5.91	$	(0.50)	$	7.82
Diluted (loss) income per common share from discontinued
	operations		(0.24)		(0.17)		(0.32)		0.21
Diluted net income (loss) per common share		$	1.87	$	5.74	$	(0.82)	$	8.03
Basic average number of common shares outstanding			8,046		7,852		7,802		7,601
Diluted average number of common shares outstanding			8,119		7,933		7,802		7,682
2011 quarterly comprehensive income (loss)		$	40,894	$	37,040	$	(41,225)	$	63,512
The sum of the four quarters may not necessarily be equal to the annual amounts reported in the Consolidated Statements of Operations due to rounding.

(in thousands, except per share amount)		First Quarter		Second Quarter		Third Quarter		Fourth Quarter
2010 Quarterly Operating Results
Operating Revenues
	Education	$	694,078	$	739,129	$	737,131	$	691,941
	Advertising		184,182		207,241		200,532		241,650
	Circulation and subscriber		213,454		215,995		213,377		214,464
	Other		33,013		31,253		32,495		34,106
			1,124,727		1,193,618		1,183,535		1,182,161
Operating Costs and Expenses
	Operating		471,542		477,248		479,526		503,260
	Selling, general and administrative		478,908		480,412		471,897		457,737
	Depreciation of property, plant and equipment		61,307		60,872		60,752		63,699
	Amortization of intangible assets		6,403		7,492		6,409		6,438
	Impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets		―		―		27,477		―
			1,018,160		1,026,024		1,046,061		1,031,134
Income from Operations			106,567		167,594		137,474		151,027
	Equity in (losses) earnings of affiliates, net		(8,109)		2,027		2,140		(191)
	Interest income		326		599		600		1,051
	Interest expense		(7,579)		(7,598)		(7,633)		(7,693)
	Other (expense) income, net		(3,321)		(3,807)		12,486		2,157
Income from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes			87,884		158,815		145,067		146,351
Provision for Income Taxes			33,700		56,700		59,400		68,200
Income from Continuing Operations			54,184		102,115		85,667		78,151
(Loss) Income from Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax			(8,356)		(9,988)		(24,591)		838
Net Income			45,828		92,127		61,076		78,989
Net Loss (Income) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests			12		8		76		(2)
Net Income Attributable to The Washington Post Company			45,840		92,135		61,152		78,987
Redeemable Preferred Stock Dividends			(461)		(231)		(230)		―
Net Income Attributable to The Washington Post Company
	Common Stockholders	$	45,379	$	91,904	$	60,922	$	78,987
Amounts Attributable to The Washington Post Company
	Common Stockholders
Income from continuing operations		$	53,735	$	101,892	$	85,513	$	78,149
(Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of tax			(8,356)		(9,988)		(24,591)		838
Net income attributable to The Washington Post Company
	common stockholders	$	45,379	$	91,904	$	60,922	$	78,987
Per Share Information Attributable to The Washington Post
	Company Common Stockholders
Basic income per common share from continuing operations		$	5.81	$	11.08	$	9.61	$	9.32
Basic (loss) income per common share from discontinued
	operations		(0.90)		(1.08)		(2.76)		0.10
Basic net income per common share		$	4.91	$	10.00	$	6.85	$	9.42
Diluted income per common share from continuing operations		$	5.81	$	11.08	$	9.60	$	9.32
Diluted (loss) income per common share from discontinued
	operations		(0.90)		(1.08)		(2.76)		0.10
Diluted net income per common share		$	4.91	$	10.00	$	6.84	$	9.42
Basic average number of common shares outstanding			9,175		9,126		8,839		8,336
Diluted average number of common shares outstanding			9,241		9,193		8,904		8,385
2010 quarterly comprehensive income		$	91,370	$	33,291	$	83,421	$	147,552
The sum of the four quarters may not necessarily be equal to the annual amounts reported in the Consolidated Statements of Operations due to rounding.

Schedule Of Quarterly Impact From Certain Items [Table Text Block]

		First		Second		Third		Fourth
		Quarter		Quarter		Quarter		Quarter
Charges of $18.1 million in connection with severance and restructuring at
	Kaplan ($1.4 million, $7.3 million, $3.5 million and $6.0 million in the first, second,
	third and fourth quarters, respectively)	$	(0.18)	$	(0.91)	$	(0.44)	$	(0.77)
Charge of $1.5 million recorded at the newspaper publishing division in connection
	with the withdrawal from a multiemployer pension plan							$	(0.19)
Goodwill impairment charge of $11.9 million at the Company's online lead
	generation business					$	(1.51)
Impairment charges of $5.7 million at one of the Company’s affiliates						$	(0.72)
Write-down of a marketable equity security of $34.6 million ($19.8 million and
	$14.9 million in the first and third quarters, respectively)	$	(2.44)			$	(1.89)
Losses, net, of $2.1 million for non-operating unrealized foreign currency gains
	(losses) ($1.7 million gain, $0.2 million gain, $4.2 million loss and $0.3 million
	gain in the first, second, third and fourth quarters, respectively)	$	0.21	$	0.03	$	(0.54)	$	0.03

		First		Second		Third		Fourth
		Quarter		Quarter		Quarter		Quarter
Charge of $12.7 million in connection with the withdrawal from a multiemployer
	pension plan at The Washington Post ($11.0 million and $1.6 million in the			$	(1.19)	$	(0.18)
	second and third quarters, respectively)
Goodwill and other intangible assets impairment charge of $26.3 million at the
	Company’s online lead generation business, included in other businesses					$	(2.96)
Charges of $24.2 million in connection with severance and restructuring ($2.9 million,
	$2.0 million and $19.3 million in the first, second, and fourth quarter, respectively)	$	(0.31)	$	(0.22)			$	(2.31)
Gains, net, of $4.2 million for non-operating unrealized foreign currency gains (losses)
	($2.2 million loss, $2.3 million loss, $7.5 million gain and $1.2 million gain in the
	first, second, third and fourth quarters, respectively)	$	(0.23)	$	(0.25)	$	0.84	$	0.14