Acquired Intangible Assets and Goodwill (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2012	Apr. 30, 2012	Oct. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2011	Oct. 31, 2010
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortizable intangible assets, gross carrying amount	$ 9,005,787		$ 9,005,787	$ 9,005,787
Amortizable intangible assets, accumulated amortization	4,520,493		4,520,493	4,227,735
Unamortizable intangible assets [Abstract]
Goodwill	3,964,600		3,964,600	13,475,533
Trademark and masthead	2,091,022		2,091,022	3,648,972
Unamortizable intangible assets, gross carrying amount	6,055,622		6,055,622	17,124,505
Goodwill, accumulated amortization	507,278		507,278	507,278
Trademark and masthead, accumulated amortization	0		0	0
Unamortizable intangible assets, accumulated amortization	507,278		507,278	507,278
Total goodwill and other intangibles, gross carrying amount	15,061,409		15,061,409	26,130,292
Total goodwill and other intangibles, accumulated amortization	5,027,771		5,027,771	4,735,013
Amortization period			16 years
Estimated amortization expense for future fiscal years [Abstract]
2013	287,261		287,261
2014	275,970		275,970
2015	269,761		269,761
2016	269,761		269,761
2017	269,761		269,761
Thereafter	3,112,780		3,112,780
Total	4,485,294		4,485,294	4,778,052	5,195,361
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, gross, beginning of period			38,894,778	38,894,778
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning of period			(25,926,523)	(23,562,495)
Goodwill, beginning of period			12,968,255	15,332,283
Goodwill acquired			0	0
Impairment losses			(9,510,933)	(2,364,028)	0
Goodwill, gross, end of period	38,894,778		38,894,778	38,894,778	38,894,778
Accumulated impairment losses, end of period	(35,437,456)		(35,437,456)	(25,926,523)	(23,562,495)
Goodwill, ending balance	3,457,322		3,457,322	12,968,255	15,332,283
Amortizing Intangible Assets (net of amortization expense) [Roll Forward]
Amortizing intangible assets (net of amortization expense), beginning of period			13,829,536	14,246,845
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning of period			(9,051,484)	(9,051,484)
Amortizing intangible assets (net of amortization expense and impairment losses), beginning of period			4,778,052	5,195,361
Amortizing intangible assets acquired			0	0
Impairment losses			0	0	0
Amortization expense			292,758	417,309	450,000
Amortizing intangible assets (net of amortization expense), end of period	13,536,778		13,536,778	13,829,536	14,246,845
Accumulated impairment losses, end of period	(9,051,484)		(9,051,484)	(9,051,484)	(9,051,484)
Amortizing intangible assets (net of amortization expense and impairment losses), end of period	4,485,294		4,485,294	4,778,052	5,195,361
Impairment charges [Abstract]
Goodwill			9,510,933	2,364,028	0
Other intangibles			0	0	0
Trademark & masthead			1,557,950	6,352,840	0
Total impairment charges	1,600,000	9,500,000	11,068,883	8,716,868	0
Impairment charges, net of deferred tax benefit				5,400,000
Intangible Asset Impairment, Tax Benefit				3,300,000
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Roll Forward]
Trademark and masthead, beginning of period			3,648,972
Trademark and masthead, end of period	2,091,022		2,091,022	3,648,972
Trademark and masthead [Member]
Unamortizable intangible assets [Abstract]
Trademark and masthead	2,091,022		2,091,022	3,648,972
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Roll Forward]
Trademark and masthead before accumulated impairment losses, beginning of period			18,515,316	18,515,316
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning of period			(14,866,344)	(8,513,504)
Trademark and masthead, beginning of period			3,648,972	10,001,812
Trademark and masthead acquired			0	0
Impairment losses			(1,557,950)	(6,352,840)
Trademark and masthead before accumulated impairment losses, end of period	18,515,316		18,515,316	18,515,316
Accumulated impairment losses, end of period	(16,424,294)		(16,424,294)	(14,866,344)
Trademark and masthead, end of period	2,091,022		2,091,022	3,648,972
Non-compete Agreements [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortizable intangible assets, gross carrying amount	1,000,000		1,000,000	1,000,000
Amortizable intangible assets, accumulated amortization	1,000,000		1,000,000	1,000,000
Customer Relationships [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortizable intangible assets, gross carrying amount	2,451,073		2,451,073	2,451,073
Amortizable intangible assets, accumulated amortization	1,026,935		1,026,935	904,837
Advertising and Subscriber Base [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortizable intangible assets, gross carrying amount	4,989,768		4,989,768	4,989,768
Amortizable intangible assets, accumulated amortization	1,952,322		1,952,322	1,804,660
Other [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortizable intangible assets, gross carrying amount	564,946		564,946	564,946
Amortizable intangible assets, accumulated amortization	541,236		541,236	518,238
Printing [Member]
Estimated amortization expense for future fiscal years [Abstract]
Total	500,721		500,721
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, gross, beginning of period			2,226,837	2,226,837
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning of period			0	0
Goodwill, beginning of period			2,226,837	2,226,837
Goodwill acquired			0	0
Impairment losses			0	0
Goodwill, gross, end of period	2,226,837		2,226,837	2,226,837
Accumulated impairment losses, end of period	0		0	0
Goodwill, ending balance	2,226,837		2,226,837	2,226,837
Amortizing Intangible Assets (net of amortization expense) [Roll Forward]
Amortizing intangible assets (net of amortization expense), beginning of period			564,698	673,979
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning of period			0	0
Amortizing intangible assets (net of amortization expense and impairment losses), beginning of period				673,979
Amortizing intangible assets acquired			0	0
Impairment losses			0	0
Amortization expense			63,977	109,281
Amortizing intangible assets (net of amortization expense), end of period	500,721		500,721	564,698
Accumulated impairment losses, end of period	0		0	0
Amortizing intangible assets (net of amortization expense and impairment losses), end of period	500,721		500,721
Impairment charges [Abstract]
Goodwill			0	0
Other intangibles			0	0
Printing [Member] | Trademark and masthead [Member]
Unamortizable intangible assets [Abstract]
Trademark and masthead	0		0	0
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Roll Forward]
Trademark and masthead before accumulated impairment losses, beginning of period			0	0
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning of period			0	0
Trademark and masthead, beginning of period			0	0
Trademark and masthead acquired			0	0
Impairment losses			0	0
Trademark and masthead before accumulated impairment losses, end of period	0		0	0
Accumulated impairment losses, end of period	0		0	0
Trademark and masthead, end of period	0		0	0
Office Products and Furniture [Member]
Estimated amortization expense for future fiscal years [Abstract]
Total	947,127		947,127
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, gross, beginning of period			1,230,485	1,230,485
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning of period			0	0
Goodwill, beginning of period			1,230,485	1,230,485
Goodwill acquired			0	0
Impairment losses			0	0
Goodwill, gross, end of period	1,230,485		1,230,485	1,230,485
Accumulated impairment losses, end of period	0		0	0
Goodwill, ending balance	1,230,485		1,230,485	1,230,485
Amortizing Intangible Assets (net of amortization expense) [Roll Forward]
Amortizing intangible assets (net of amortization expense), beginning of period			1,028,246	1,188,608
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning of period			0	0
Amortizing intangible assets (net of amortization expense and impairment losses), beginning of period				1,188,608
Amortizing intangible assets acquired			0	0
Impairment losses			0	0
Amortization expense			81,119	160,362
Amortizing intangible assets (net of amortization expense), end of period	947,127		947,127	1,028,246
Accumulated impairment losses, end of period	0		0	0
Amortizing intangible assets (net of amortization expense and impairment losses), end of period	947,127		947,127
Impairment charges [Abstract]
Goodwill			0	0
Other intangibles			0	0
Office Products and Furniture [Member] | Trademark and masthead [Member]
Unamortizable intangible assets [Abstract]
Trademark and masthead	0		0	0
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Roll Forward]
Trademark and masthead before accumulated impairment losses, beginning of period			0	0
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning of period			0	0
Trademark and masthead, beginning of period			0	0
Trademark and masthead acquired			0	0
Impairment losses			0	0
Trademark and masthead before accumulated impairment losses, end of period	0		0	0
Accumulated impairment losses, end of period	0		0	0
Trademark and masthead, end of period	0		0	0
Newspaper [Member]
Estimated amortization expense for future fiscal years [Abstract]
Total	3,037,446		3,037,446
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, gross, beginning of period			35,437,456	35,437,456
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning of period			(25,926,523)	(23,562,495)
Goodwill, beginning of period			9,510,933	11,874,961
Goodwill acquired			0	0
Impairment losses			(9,510,933)	(2,364,028)
Goodwill, gross, end of period	35,437,456		35,437,456	35,437,456
Accumulated impairment losses, end of period	(35,437,456)		(35,437,456)	(25,926,523)
Goodwill, ending balance	0		0	9,510,933
Amortizing Intangible Assets (net of amortization expense) [Roll Forward]
Amortizing intangible assets (net of amortization expense), beginning of period			12,236,592	12,384,258
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning of period			(9,051,484)	(9,051,484)
Amortizing intangible assets (net of amortization expense and impairment losses), beginning of period				3,332,774
Amortizing intangible assets acquired			0	0
Impairment losses			0	0
Amortization expense			147,662	147,666
Amortizing intangible assets (net of amortization expense), end of period	12,088,930		12,088,930	12,236,592
Accumulated impairment losses, end of period	(9,051,484)		(9,051,484)	(9,051,484)
Amortizing intangible assets (net of amortization expense and impairment losses), end of period	3,037,446		3,037,446
Impairment charges [Abstract]
Goodwill			9,510,933	2,364,028
Other intangibles			0	0
Newspaper [Member] | Trademark and masthead [Member]
Unamortizable intangible assets [Abstract]
Trademark and masthead	2,091,022		2,091,022	3,648,972
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Roll Forward]
Trademark and masthead before accumulated impairment losses, beginning of period			18,515,316	18,515,316
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning of period			(14,866,344)	(8,513,504)
Trademark and masthead, beginning of period			3,648,972	10,001,812
Trademark and masthead acquired			0	0
Impairment losses			(1,557,950)	(6,352,840)
Trademark and masthead before accumulated impairment losses, end of period	18,515,316		18,515,316	18,515,316
Accumulated impairment losses, end of period	(16,424,294)		(16,424,294)	(14,866,344)
Trademark and masthead, end of period	$ 2,091,022		$ 2,091,022	$ 3,648,972
Syscan [Member] | Non-compete Agreements [Member]
Unamortizable intangible assets [Abstract]
Amortization period			7 years
Syscan [Member] | Customer Relationships [Member]
Unamortizable intangible assets [Abstract]
Amortization period			20 years
The Herald-Dispatch [Member] | Advertising and Subscriber Base [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Unamortizable intangible assets [Abstract]
Amortization period			20 years
The Herald-Dispatch [Member] | Advertising and Subscriber Base [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Unamortizable intangible assets [Abstract]
Amortization period			25 years