Earnings Per Share Calculation of Basic and Diluted EPS (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 28, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 28, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Income from continuing operations, as reported		$ 27,858	$ 52,886	$ 61,010	$ 148,435
Less: Dividends distributed to Warrants		77	0	249	0
Less: Undistributed earnings allocated to Warrants		91	1,461	679	5,499
Income from continuing operations attributable to common shareholders for basic EPS		27,690	51,425	60,082	142,936
Undistributed earnings allocated to dilutive securities	[1]	0	2	2	15
Income from continuing operations attributable to common shareholders for diluted EPS		27,690	51,427	60,084	142,951
(Loss) income from discontinued operations, as reported		0	(14,889)	0	13,552
Less: Undistributed earnings allocated to Warrants		0	(411)	0	502
(Loss) income from discontinued operations attributable to common shareholders for basic and diluted EPS (1)		0	(14,478)	0	13,050
Net income attributable to common shareholders for basic EPS		27,690	36,947	60,082	155,986
Net income attributable to common shareholders for diluted EPS		$ 27,690	$ 36,949	$ 60,084	$ 156,001
Weighted average shares outstanding - basic		94,437	97,384	95,060	96,401
Impact of dilutive securities		75	226	214	239
Weighted average shares outstanding - diluted		94,512	97,610	95,274	96,640
Basic earnings (loss) per common share, continuing operations (usd per share)		$ 0.29	$ 0.53	$ 0.63	$ 1.48
Basic earnings (loss) per common share, discontinued operations (usd per share)		0.00	(0.15)	0.00	0.14
Net Earnings Per Common Share, Basic (usd per share)		0.29	0.38	0.63	1.62
Diluted earnings (loss) per common share, continuing operations (usd per share)		0.29	0.53	0.63	1.47
Diluted earnings (loss) per common share, discontinued operations (usd per share)		0.00	(0.15)	0.00	0.14
Net Earnings Per Common Share, Diluted (usd per share)		$ 0.29	$ 0.38	$ 0.63	$ 1.61

[1] The impact of dilutive securities associated with Equity Awards held by Tribune Publishing employees was immaterial. As such, all of the impact of dilutive securities has been allocated to diluted EPS from continuing operations.