Consolidated Statements of Income - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Income Statement [Abstract]
Revenues	$ 464,264	$ 519,617	$ 1,412,703	$ 1,457,233
Operating expenses:
Cost of revenues, exclusive of depreciation	235,474	200,495	696,565	590,058
Business units - Selling, general and administrative expenses, exclusive of depreciation	70,914	83,039	214,645	246,280
Corporate - General and administrative expenses, exclusive of depreciation	12,881	16,027	42,462	43,865
Depreciation	15,186	13,212	41,721	42,653
Amortization of intangible assets	5,395	5,775	16,172	17,542
Asset impairment and facility consolidation charges	7,553	15,218	11,086	18,946
Total	347,403	333,766	1,022,651	959,344
Operating income	116,861	185,851	390,052	497,889
Non-operating income (expense):
Equity income (loss) in unconsolidated investments, net	866	(1,198)	(1,549)	(2,763)
Interest expense	(51,855)	(57,601)	(162,113)	(175,444)
Other non-operating items	(3,671)	(11,874)	(26,853)	(16,029)
Total	(54,660)	(70,673)	(190,515)	(194,236)
Income before income taxes	62,201	115,178	199,537	303,653
Provision for income taxes	11,447	38,441	54,855	92,038
Net Income from continuing operations	50,754	76,737	144,682	211,615
(Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of tax	(10,803)	56,698	(233,261)	132,141
Net income (loss)	39,951	133,435	(88,579)	343,756
Net loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests from discontinued operations	2,806	(14,752)	58,698	(40,178)
Net income (loss) attributable to TEGNA Inc.	$ 42,757	$ 118,683	$ (29,881)	$ 303,578
Earnings from continuing operations per share - basic (in dollars per share)	$ 0.24	$ 0.36	$ 0.67	$ 0.98
(Loss) earnings from discontinued operations per share - basic (in dollars per share)	(0.04)	0.19	(0.81)	0.42
Net income (loss) per share – basic (In dollars per share)	0.20	0.55	(0.14)	1.40
Earnings from continuing operations per share - diluted (in dollars per share)	0.23	0.35	0.66	0.96
(Loss) earnings from discontinued operations per share - diluted (in dollars per share)	(0.04)	0.19	(0.80)	0.42
Net income (loss) per share – diluted (In dollars per share)	$ 0.19	$ 0.54	$ (0.14)	$ 1.38
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:
Basic shares	215,863	214,813	215,558	216,865
Diluted shares	218,095	218,099	217,827	220,511
Dividends declared per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.07	$ 0.14	$ 0.28	$ 0.42