Acquisitions - Pro Forma Disclosures (Details) - Journal Communications, Inc. - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Information, Nonrecurring Adjustment [Line Items]
Operating revenues	$ 189,691	$ 573,310
Loss from continuing operations attributable to the shareholders of The E.W. Scripps Company	$ (23,606)	$ (17,028)
Income per share from operations attributable to the shareholders of The E.W. Scripps Company - Basic (in dollars per share)	$ (0.27)	$ (0.19)
Income per share from operations attributable to the shareholders of The E.W. Scripps Company - Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ (0.27)	$ (0.19)

The pro forma basic net income per share for a period as if the business combination or combinations had been completed at the beginning of a period.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (h)(2)-(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=56956515&loc=d3e1392-128463

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