Industry Segment Information (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2011	Oct. 31, 2010
Industry Segment Information [Abstract]
Number of operating segments	3
Total daily circulation of newspaper	23,000
Total Sunday circulation of newspaper	28,000
Entity number of employees	550
Number of participants under the collective bargaining arrangement	10
Number of participants under the collective bargaining arrangement (in hundredths)	2.00%
Total assets held for sale/discontinued operations	$ 2,705,280	$ 7,361,869
Segment reporting information, revenue for reportable segment [Abstract]
Revenues from continuing operations	114,803,646	116,313,759	121,566,020
Elimination of intersegment revenue	(10,389,931)	(11,801,929)	(15,390,441)
Consolidated revenue from continuing operations	104,413,715	104,511,830	106,175,579
Operating (loss) income from continuing operations	(8,925,476)	(4,445,019)	4,660,116
Interest expense - related party	(57,733)	(65,316)	(82,334)
Interest expense	(3,738,725)	(3,553,031)	(5,060,437)
Gain on early extinguishment of debt from a related party	0	1,337,846	0
Other income (loss)	(13,117)	50,410	952,018
(Loss) income from continuing operations before income taxes	(12,735,051)	(6,675,110)	469,363
Depreciation & amortization	3,669,291	3,965,513	4,062,807
Capital expenditures	756,189	1,330,677	815,543
Identifiable assets	45,261,311	62,894,853	76,501,708
Goodwill	3,457,322	12,968,255	15,332,283
Identifiable assets [Abstract]
Total segment identifiable assets	45,261,311	62,894,853	76,501,708
Elimination of intersegment assets	2,705,280	19,129,429	15,950,954
Total assets	47,966,591	82,024,282	92,452,662
Printing [Member]
Segment reporting information, revenue for reportable segment [Abstract]
Revenues from continuing operations	60,204,947	60,626,443	66,541,632
Elimination of intersegment revenue	(4,758,471)	(5,249,556)	(9,136,312)
Consolidated revenue from continuing operations	55,446,476	55,376,887	57,405,320
Operating (loss) income from continuing operations	(1,832,029)	(500,704)	(559,261)
Depreciation & amortization	2,426,059	2,688,378	2,795,377
Capital expenditures	646,728	1,199,163	702,491
Identifiable assets	25,738,617	28,304,364	32,143,086
Goodwill	2,226,837	2,226,837	2,226,837
Identifiable assets [Abstract]
Total segment identifiable assets	25,738,617	28,304,364	32,143,086
Office Products and Furniture [Member]
Segment reporting information, revenue for reportable segment [Abstract]
Revenues from continuing operations	40,606,947	41,098,106	39,691,717
Elimination of intersegment revenue	(5,631,460)	(6,552,373)	(6,254,129)
Consolidated revenue from continuing operations	34,975,487	34,545,733	33,437,588
Operating (loss) income from continuing operations	1,915,331	2,397,703	2,055,990
Depreciation & amortization	113,671	135,426	131,529
Capital expenditures	50,469	77,336	53,556
Identifiable assets	7,077,977	9,151,757	8,806,943
Goodwill	1,230,485	1,230,485	1,230,485
Identifiable assets [Abstract]
Total segment identifiable assets	7,077,977	9,151,757	8,806,943
Newspaper [Member]
Segment reporting information, revenue for reportable segment [Abstract]
Revenues from continuing operations	13,991,752	14,589,210	15,332,671
Elimination of intersegment revenue	0	0	0
Consolidated revenue from continuing operations	13,991,752	14,589,210	15,332,671
Operating (loss) income from continuing operations	(9,008,778)	(6,342,018)	3,163,387
Depreciation & amortization	1,129,561	1,141,709	1,135,901
Capital expenditures	58,992	54,178	59,496
Identifiable assets	12,444,717	25,438,732	35,551,679
Goodwill	0	9,510,933	11,874,961
Identifiable assets [Abstract]
Total segment identifiable assets	$ 12,444,717	$ 25,438,732	$ 35,551,679