SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES - Cash flow (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
Sep. 25, 2016	Sep. 27, 2015
Cash Flow Information
Interest paid (net of amount capitalized)	$ 47,349	$ 53,241
Income taxes paid (net of refunds)	762	$ 197,718
Other non-cash financing activities
Increase of financing obligation for contribution of real property to pension plan	47,130
Reduction of pension obligation for contribution of real property to pension plan	(47,130)
Reduction of financing obligation for sale of Charlotte property by pension plan	(25,060)
Reduction of property, plant and equipment, net for sale of Charlotte property by pension plan	$ (26,171)

Represents the value of a financing obligation as a contribution of real property to a pension plan.

No definition available.

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Namespace Prefix:	mni_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Non-cash financing activity representing the reduction of a financing obligation for the sale of the Charlotte property by the pension plan.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	mni_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Non-cash activity which represents the reduction of pension obligation for contribution of real property to pension plan.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	mni_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Non-cash financing activity representing the reduction of property, plant, and equipment net for sale of the Charlotte property by the pension plan.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	mni_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CashFlowNoncashInvestingAndFinancingActivitiesDisclosureAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of cash paid during the current period to foreign, federal, state, and local authorities as taxes on income, net of any cash received during the current period as refunds for the overpayment of taxes.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367179&loc=d3e4297-108586

+ Details

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Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of cash paid for interest during the period net of cash paid for interest that is capitalized.

+ References

+ Details

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Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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