Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017		Dec. 31, 2017		Dec. 31, 2016
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities			$ 220,941	$ 122,697
Capital expenditures	$ (11,274)	$ (13,465)	(24,947)	(28,099)
Net proceeds from the sale of business			0	554,487
Sale of partial interest of equity method investment			833	0
Proceeds from sales of real estate and other assets			58	59,751
Proceeds from the sale of investments			3,057	4,950
Other, net			3,255	805
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities			(17,744)	591,894
Long-term borrowings			0	202,694
Repayments of long-term debt			0	(589,661)
Long-term debt issuance costs			0	(1,689)
Payments of dividends			(43,847)	(542,665)
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of share-based awards			(5,723)	(7,351)
Proceeds from stock option exercises			581	10,013
(Distributions to)/contributions from noncontrolling interests			(2)	1,003
Change in intercompany receivables and payables and intercompany contributions (1)			0	0	[1]
Net cash used in financing activities			(48,991)	(927,656)
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash			154,206	(213,065)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period (1)			691,251	611,198	[2]	$ 611,198	[2]
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	845,457	398,133	845,457	398,133		691,251
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents, Including Disposal Group and Discontinued Operations [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	828,850	380,567	828,850	380,567		673,685
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	16,607	17,566	16,607	17,566		17,566		$ 17,566
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	845,457	398,133	845,457	398,133		691,251
Non-cash settlement of intercompany balances				54,000
Eliminations
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities			0	0
Capital expenditures			0	0
Net proceeds from the sale of business				0
Sale of partial interest of equity method investment			0
Proceeds from sales of real estate and other assets			0	0
Proceeds from the sale of investments			0	0
Other, net			0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities			0	0
Long-term borrowings				0
Repayments of long-term debt				0
Long-term debt issuance costs				0
Payments of dividends			0	0
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of share-based awards			0	0
Proceeds from stock option exercises			0	0
(Distributions to)/contributions from noncontrolling interests			0	0
Change in intercompany receivables and payables and intercompany contributions (1)			0	0	[1]
Net cash used in financing activities			0	0
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash			0	0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period (1)			0	0		0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	0	0	0	0		0
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents, Including Disposal Group and Discontinued Operations [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0		0
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0		0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	0	0	0	0		0
Parent (Tribune Media Company) | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities			(83,042)	(142,822)
Capital expenditures			(6,087)	(1,069)
Net proceeds from the sale of business				574,817
Sale of partial interest of equity method investment			0
Proceeds from sales of real estate and other assets			0	0
Proceeds from the sale of investments			0	4,950
Other, net			0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities			(6,087)	578,698
Long-term borrowings				202,694
Repayments of long-term debt				(587,636)
Long-term debt issuance costs				(1,689)
Payments of dividends			(43,847)	(542,665)
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of share-based awards			(5,723)	(7,351)
Proceeds from stock option exercises			581	10,013
(Distributions to)/contributions from noncontrolling interests			0	0
Change in intercompany receivables and payables and intercompany contributions (1)			291,389	293,696	[1]
Net cash used in financing activities			242,400	(632,938)
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash			153,271	(197,062)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period (1)			687,868	592,204		592,204
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	841,139	395,142	841,139	395,142		687,868
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents, Including Disposal Group and Discontinued Operations [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	824,532	377,576	824,532	377,576		670,302
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	16,607	17,566	16,607	17,566		17,566
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	841,139	395,142	841,139	395,142		687,868
Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities			330,300	266,895
Capital expenditures			(18,785)	(24,841)
Net proceeds from the sale of business				(8,168)
Sale of partial interest of equity method investment			833
Proceeds from sales of real estate and other assets			58	59,751
Proceeds from the sale of investments			3,057	0
Other, net			1,642	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities			(13,195)	26,742
Long-term borrowings				0
Repayments of long-term debt				0
Long-term debt issuance costs				0
Payments of dividends			0	0
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of share-based awards			0	0
Proceeds from stock option exercises			0	0
(Distributions to)/contributions from noncontrolling interests			0	0
Change in intercompany receivables and payables and intercompany contributions (1)			(317,176)	(300,109)	[1]
Net cash used in financing activities			(317,176)	(300,109)
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash			(71)	(6,472)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period (1)			1,501	7,378		7,378
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	1,430	906	1,430	906		1,501
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents, Including Disposal Group and Discontinued Operations [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	1,430	906	1,430	906		1,501
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0		0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	1,430	906	1,430	906		1,501
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities			(26,317)	(1,376)
Capital expenditures			(75)	(2,189)
Net proceeds from the sale of business				(12,162)
Sale of partial interest of equity method investment			0
Proceeds from sales of real estate and other assets			0	0
Proceeds from the sale of investments			0	0
Other, net			1,613	805
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities			1,538	(13,546)
Long-term borrowings				0
Repayments of long-term debt				(2,025)
Long-term debt issuance costs				0
Payments of dividends			0	0
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of share-based awards			0	0
Proceeds from stock option exercises			0	0
(Distributions to)/contributions from noncontrolling interests			(2)	1,003
Change in intercompany receivables and payables and intercompany contributions (1)			25,787	6,413	[1]
Net cash used in financing activities			25,785	5,391
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash			1,006	(9,531)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period (1)			1,882	11,616		11,616
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	2,888	2,085	2,888	2,085		1,882
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents, Including Disposal Group and Discontinued Operations [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	2,888	2,085	2,888	2,085		1,882
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0		0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	$ 2,888	$ 2,085	$ 2,888	$ 2,085		$ 1,882

[1] (1)Excludes the impact of a $54 million non-cash settlement of intercompany balances upon dissolution of certain Guarantor subsidiaries.

[2] (1)Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at the beginning of the six months ended June 30, 2017 of $611 million are comprised of $595 million of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash from continuing operations as reflected in the Company’s unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and $16 million of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash reflected in current assets of discontinued operations.