Financial Information about Industry Segments (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2015 segment measures	Mar. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of reportable segments			2us-gaap_NumberOfReportableSegments
Number of principal financial measures			2mdp_NumberOfPrincipleFinancialMeasures
Total revenues	$ 398,179us-gaap_Revenues	$ 367,414us-gaap_Revenues	$ 1,168,268us-gaap_Revenues	$ 1,077,914us-gaap_Revenues
Income from operations	47,106us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss	31,229us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss	168,820us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss	125,938us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
Interest expense, net	(5,179)us-gaap_InterestIncomeExpenseNet	(3,408)us-gaap_InterestIncomeExpenseNet	(14,206)us-gaap_InterestIncomeExpenseNet	(8,676)us-gaap_InterestIncomeExpenseNet
Earnings before income taxes	41,927	27,821	154,614	117,262
Total depreciation and amortization	14,610us-gaap_DepreciationAndAmortization	23,033us-gaap_DepreciationAndAmortization	41,687us-gaap_DepreciationAndAmortization	46,418us-gaap_DepreciationAndAmortization
National Media [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	275,298	269,680	764,005	786,273
Income from operations	23,460	13,614	78,462	69,760
Total depreciation and amortization	4,369	15,622	11,481	25,355
Local Media [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	122,881	97,734	404,263	291,641
Income from operations	31,420	26,696	122,718	87,597
Total depreciation and amortization	9,816	7,009	28,926	19,841
Unallocated Corporate [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Income from operations	(7,774)	(9,081)	(32,360)	(31,419)
Total depreciation and amortization	$ 425	$ 402	$ 1,280	$ 1,222

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- Definition

The current period expense charged against earnings on long-lived, physical assets not used in production, and which are not intended for resale, to allocate or recognize the cost of such assets over their useful lives; or to record the reduction in book value of an intangible asset over the benefit period of such asset; or to reflect consumption during the period of an asset that is not used in production.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 360

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

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- Definition

This element represents the income or loss from continuing operations attributable to the economic entity which may also be defined as revenue less expenses from ongoing operations, after income or loss from equity method investments, but before income taxes, extraordinary items, and noncontrolling interest.

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-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 10

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- Definition

The net amount of operating interest income (expense).

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- Definition

Number of segments reported by the entity. A reportable segment is a component of an entity for which there is an accounting requirement to report separate financial information on that component in the entity's financial statements.

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The net result for the period of deducting operating expenses from operating revenues.

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- Definition

Amount of revenue recognized from goods sold, services rendered, insurance premiums, or other activities that constitute an earning process. Includes, but is not limited to, investment and interest income before deduction of interest expense when recognized as a component of revenue, and sales and trading gain (loss).

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