CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Revenues:
Total		$ 2,299,497	$ 2,207,282	$ 1,903,026
Operating expenses:
Cost of revenues	[1]	1,228,237	1,065,933	933,718
Business units - Selling, general and administrative expenses		326,804	315,320	287,396
Corporate - General and administrative expenses		80,144	52,467	54,943
Depreciation		60,525	55,949	55,068
Amortization of intangible assets		50,104	30,838	21,570
Spectrum repacking reimbursements and other, net (see Note 11)		(5,335)	(11,701)	4,429
Total		1,740,479	1,508,806	1,357,124
Operating income		559,018	698,476	545,902
Non-operating income (expense):
Equity income in unconsolidated investments, net		10,149	13,792	10,402
Interest expense		(205,470)	(192,065)	(210,284)
Other non-operating items, net		11,960	(11,496)	(35,304)
Total		(183,361)	(189,769)	(235,186)
Income before income taxes		375,657	508,707	310,716
Provision (benefit) for income taxes		89,422	107,367	(137,246)
Income from continuing operations		286,235	401,340	447,962
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax		0	4,325	(232,916)
Net income		286,235	405,665	215,046
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests from discontinued operations		0	0	58,698
Net income attributable to TEGNA Inc.		$ 286,235	$ 405,665	$ 273,744
Earnings from continuing operations per share - basic (in dollars per share)		$ 1.32	$ 1.86	$ 2.08
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations per share - basic (in dollars per share)		0	0.02	(0.81)
Net income per share - basic (in dollars per share)		1.32	1.88	1.27
Earnings from continuing operations per share - diluted (in dollars per share)		1.31	1.85	2.06
Earnings from discontinued operations per share - diluted (in dollars per share)		0	0.02	(0.80)
Net income per share - diluted (in dollars per share)		$ 1.31	$ 1.87	$ 1.26
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:
Basic (in shares)		217,138	216,184	215,587
Diluted (in shares)		217,977	216,621	217,478

[1] Cost of revenues exclude charges for depreciation and amortization expense, which are shown separately above.