Consolidated Statements of Income - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Income Statement [Abstract]
Revenues		$ 684,189	$ 516,753
Operating expenses:
Cost of revenues	[1]	369,368	281,311
Business units - Selling, general and administrative expenses		92,968	71,465
Corporate - General and administrative expenses		21,714	14,735
Depreciation		16,900	14,917
Amortization of intangible assets		16,216	8,689
Spectrum repacking reimbursements and other, net		(7,515)	(7,013)
Total		509,651	384,104
Operating income		174,538	132,649
Non-operating income (expense):
Equity income in unconsolidated investments, net		9,015	12,028
Interest expense		(56,960)	(46,385)
Other non-operating items, net		(19,270)	(1,539)
Total		(67,215)	(35,896)
Income before income taxes		107,323	96,753
Provision for income taxes		21,125	22,774
Net Income		86,198	73,979
Net loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest		110	0
Net income attributable to TEGNA Inc.		$ 86,308	$ 73,979
Net income per share – basic (in dollars per share)		$ 0.40	$ 0.34
Net income per share – diluted (in dollars per share)		$ 0.39	$ 0.34
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:
Basic shares (in shares)		218,277	216,709
Diluted shares (in shares)		218,863	217,202

[1] Cost of revenues exclude charges for depreciation and amortization expense, which are shown separately above.