Acquired Intangible Assets and Goodwill (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2013	Apr. 30, 2012	Apr. 30, 2013	Apr. 30, 2012	Oct. 31, 2012
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortizable intangible assets, gross carrying amount	$ 9,005,787		$ 9,005,787		$ 9,005,787
Amortizable intangible assets, accumulated amortization	4,664,126		4,664,126		4,520,493
Unamortizable intangible assets [Abstract]
Goodwill	1,307,267		1,307,267		3,964,600
Trademark and masthead	2,091,022		2,091,022		2,091,022
Unamortizable intangible assets, gross carrying amount	3,398,289		3,398,289		6,055,622
Goodwill, accumulated amortization	76,782		76,782		507,278
Trademark and masthead, accumulated amortization	0		0		0
Unamortizable intangible assets, accumulated amortization	76,782		76,782		507,278
Total goodwill and other intangibles, gross carrying amount	12,404,076		12,404,076		15,061,409
Total goodwill and other intangibles, accumulated amortization	4,740,908		4,740,908		5,027,771
Amortization period			16 years
Estimated amortization expense for future fiscal years [Abstract]
2013	143,628		143,628
2014	275,970		275,970
2015	269,761		269,761
2016	269,761		269,761
2017	269,761		269,761
Thereafter	3,112,780		3,112,780
Total	4,341,661		4,341,661
Amortizing Intangible Assets (net of amortization expense) [Roll Forward]
Amortizing intangible assets (net of amortization expense), beginning of period			13,536,778
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning of period			(9,051,484)
Amortizing intangible assets (net of amortization expense and impairment losses), beginning of period			4,485,294
Amortizing intangible assets acquired			0
Impairment losses			0	0
Amortization expense	71,817	74,565	143,633	149,129
Amortizing intangible assets (net of amortization expense), end of period	13,393,145		13,393,145
Accumulated impairment losses, end of period	(9,051,484)		(9,051,484)
Amortizing intangible assets (net of amortization expense and impairment losses), end of period	4,341,661		4,341,661
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, gross, beginning of period			38,894,778
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning of period			(35,437,456)
Goodwill, beginning of period			3,457,322
Goodwill acquired			0
Impairment losses			(2,226,837)	(9,510,933)
Goodwill, gross, end of period	38,894,778		38,894,778
Accumulated impairment losses, end of period	(37,664,293)		(37,664,293)
Goodwill, ending balance	1,230,485	3,457,322	1,230,485	3,457,322
Impairment charges [Abstract]
Goodwill			2,226,837	9,510,933
Other intangibles			0	0
Trademark & masthead			0	0
Total impairment charges			2,226,837	9,510,933
Impairment charges, net of deferred tax benefit			2,200,000
Non-compete Agreements [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortizable intangible assets, gross carrying amount	1,000,000		1,000,000		1,000,000
Amortizable intangible assets, accumulated amortization	1,000,000		1,000,000		1,000,000
Customer Relationships [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortizable intangible assets, gross carrying amount	2,451,073		2,451,073		2,451,073
Amortizable intangible assets, accumulated amortization	1,087,984		1,087,984		1,026,935
Advertising and Subscriber Base [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortizable intangible assets, gross carrying amount	4,989,768		4,989,768		4,989,768
Amortizable intangible assets, accumulated amortization	2,026,154		2,026,154		1,952,322
Other [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortizable intangible assets, gross carrying amount	564,946		564,946		564,946
Amortizable intangible assets, accumulated amortization	549,988		549,988		541,236
Printing [Member]
Estimated amortization expense for future fiscal years [Abstract]
Total	471,519		471,519
Amortizing Intangible Assets (net of amortization expense) [Roll Forward]
Amortizing intangible assets (net of amortization expense), beginning of period			500,721
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning of period			0
Amortizing intangible assets (net of amortization expense and impairment losses), beginning of period			500,721
Amortizing intangible assets acquired			0
Impairment losses			0
Amortization expense			29,202
Amortizing intangible assets (net of amortization expense), end of period	471,519		471,519
Accumulated impairment losses, end of period	0		0
Amortizing intangible assets (net of amortization expense and impairment losses), end of period	471,519		471,519
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, gross, beginning of period			2,226,837
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning of period			0
Goodwill, beginning of period			2,226,837
Goodwill acquired			0
Impairment losses			(2,226,837)
Goodwill, gross, end of period	2,226,837		2,226,837
Accumulated impairment losses, end of period	(2,226,837)		(2,226,837)
Goodwill, ending balance	0	2,226,837	0	2,226,837
Impairment charges [Abstract]
Goodwill			2,226,837
Other intangibles			0
Office Products and Furniture [Member]
Estimated amortization expense for future fiscal years [Abstract]
Total	906,529		906,529
Amortizing Intangible Assets (net of amortization expense) [Roll Forward]
Amortizing intangible assets (net of amortization expense), beginning of period			947,127
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning of period			0
Amortizing intangible assets (net of amortization expense and impairment losses), beginning of period			947,127
Amortizing intangible assets acquired			0
Impairment losses			0
Amortization expense			40,598
Amortizing intangible assets (net of amortization expense), end of period	906,529		906,529
Accumulated impairment losses, end of period	0		0
Amortizing intangible assets (net of amortization expense and impairment losses), end of period	906,529		906,529
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, gross, beginning of period			1,230,485
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning of period			0
Goodwill, beginning of period			1,230,485
Goodwill acquired			0
Impairment losses			0
Goodwill, gross, end of period	1,230,485		1,230,485
Accumulated impairment losses, end of period	0		0
Goodwill, ending balance	1,230,485	1,230,485	1,230,485	1,230,485
Impairment charges [Abstract]
Goodwill			0
Other intangibles			0
Newspaper [Member]
Estimated amortization expense for future fiscal years [Abstract]
Total	2,963,613		2,963,613
Amortizing Intangible Assets (net of amortization expense) [Roll Forward]
Amortizing intangible assets (net of amortization expense), beginning of period			12,088,930
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning of period			(9,051,484)
Amortizing intangible assets (net of amortization expense and impairment losses), beginning of period			3,037,446
Amortizing intangible assets acquired			0
Impairment losses			0
Amortization expense			73,833
Amortizing intangible assets (net of amortization expense), end of period	12,015,097		12,015,097
Accumulated impairment losses, end of period	(9,051,484)		(9,051,484)
Amortizing intangible assets (net of amortization expense and impairment losses), end of period	2,963,613		2,963,613
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, gross, beginning of period			35,437,456
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning of period			(35,437,456)
Goodwill, beginning of period			0
Goodwill acquired			0
Impairment losses			0
Goodwill, gross, end of period	35,437,456		35,437,456
Accumulated impairment losses, end of period	(35,437,456)		(35,437,456)
Goodwill, ending balance	0	0	0	0
Impairment charges [Abstract]
Goodwill			0
Other intangibles			$ 0
Syscan [Member] | Customer Relationships [Member]
Unamortizable intangible assets [Abstract]
Amortization period			20 years
The Herald-Dispatch [Member] | Advertising and Subscriber Base [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Unamortizable intangible assets [Abstract]
Amortization period			20 years
The Herald-Dispatch [Member] | Advertising and Subscriber Base [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Unamortizable intangible assets [Abstract]
Amortization period			25 years