Consolidated Statements of Income - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Income Statement [Abstract]
Revenues		$ 738,389	$ 551,857	$ 2,000,205	$ 1,605,542
Operating expenses:
Cost of revenues	[1]	379,185	306,474	1,103,920	873,078
Business units - Selling, general and administrative expenses		89,943	78,439	267,919	223,845
Corporate - General and administrative expenses		11,263	29,792	61,289	60,363
Depreciation		16,086	15,381	49,697	44,831
Amortization of intangible assets		17,113	15,018	50,577	32,530
Spectrum repacking reimbursements and other, net		(2,902)	(80)	(10,533)	(11,399)
Total		510,688	445,024	1,522,869	1,223,248
Operating income		227,701	106,833	477,336	382,294
Non-operating income (expense):
Equity (loss) income in unconsolidated investments, net		(2,529)	(491)	8,407	10,922
Interest expense		(51,896)	(52,454)	(160,733)	(145,166)
Other non-operating items, net		961	(463)	(17,270)	6,962
Total		(53,464)	(53,408)	(169,596)	(127,282)
Income before income taxes		174,237	53,425	307,740	255,012
Provision for income taxes		41,967	5,079	69,699	52,732
Net Income		132,270	48,346	238,041	202,280
Net (income) loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest		(51)	0	433	0
Net income attributable to TEGNA Inc.		$ 132,219	$ 48,346	$ 238,474	$ 202,280
Net income per share:
Basic (in dollars per share)		$ 0.60	$ 0.22	$ 1.08	$ 0.93
Diluted (in dollars per share)		$ 0.60	$ 0.22	$ 1.08	$ 0.93
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:
Basic shares (in shares)		219,579	217,315	218,997	217,040
Diluted shares (in shares)		219,977	218,310	219,423	217,808

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