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Other Non-Operating Income (Expense) Other Non-Operating Income (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)
0 Months Ended 3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended 1 Months Ended 3 Months Ended 0 Months Ended
Mar. 27, 2014
Mar. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Jul. 31, 2014
Sep. 30, 2014
Jun. 30, 2014
Investment [Line Items]                
Proceeds from sale of headquarters building $ 158,000,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromSaleOfPropertyPlantAndEquipment              
Gain on sale of an equity affiliate     396,553,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentRealizedGainLossOnDisposal 0us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentRealizedGainLossOnDisposal 0us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentRealizedGainLossOnDisposal      
Gain on sale of intangible asset     75,249,000us-gaap_GainLossOnDispositionOfIntangibleAssets 0us-gaap_GainLossOnDispositionOfIntangibleAssets 0us-gaap_GainLossOnDispositionOfIntangibleAssets      
Gain on Berkshire exchange     266,733,000ghc_GainOnBerkshireExchange 0ghc_GainOnBerkshireExchange 0ghc_GainOnBerkshireExchange      
Gain (Loss) On Sale of Building   127,700,000ghc_GainLossOnSaleofBuilding 127,670,000ghc_GainLossOnSaleofBuilding 0ghc_GainLossOnSaleofBuilding 0ghc_GainLossOnSaleofBuilding      
Classified Ventures LLC [Member]                
Investment [Line Items]                
Gain on sale of an equity affiliate     396,553,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentRealizedGainLossOnDisposal
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_ClassifiedVenturesLlcMember
0us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentRealizedGainLossOnDisposal
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_ClassifiedVenturesLlcMember
0us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentRealizedGainLossOnDisposal
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_ClassifiedVenturesLlcMember
     
Cable [Member] | Wireless Licenses [Member]                
Investment [Line Items]                
Proceeds from Sale of Intangible Assets           98,800,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromSaleOfIntangibleAssets
/ us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= ghc_WirelessLicensesMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ghc_CableMember
   
Gain on sale of intangible asset             75,200,000us-gaap_GainLossOnDispositionOfIntangibleAssets
/ us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= ghc_WirelessLicensesMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ghc_CableMember
 
Berkshire Exchange Transaction [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Inc [Member]                
Investment [Line Items]                
Gain on Berkshire exchange               $ 266,700,000ghc_GainOnBerkshireExchange
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_BerkshireHathawayIncMember
/ ghc_TransactionAxis
= ghc_BerkshireExchangeTransactionMember
Berkshire Exchange Transaction [Member] | Class B Common Stock [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Inc [Member]                
Investment [Line Items]                
Number of Berkshire shares exchanged               1,278ghc_NumberofBerkshireSharesExchanged
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_BerkshireHathawayIncMember
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_CommonClassBMember
/ ghc_TransactionAxis
= ghc_BerkshireExchangeTransactionMember
Berkshire Exchange Transaction [Member] | Common Class A [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Inc [Member]                
Investment [Line Items]                
Number of Berkshire shares exchanged               2,107ghc_NumberofBerkshireSharesExchanged
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ghc_BerkshireHathawayIncMember
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_CommonClassAMember
/ ghc_TransactionAxis
= ghc_BerkshireExchangeTransactionMember