CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Income Statement [Abstract]
Revenues		$ 2,937,780	$ 2,299,497	$ 2,207,282
Operating expenses:
Cost of revenues	[1]	1,503,287	1,228,237	1,065,933
Business units - Selling, general and administrative expenses		365,601	326,804	315,320
Corporate - General and administrative expenses		73,295	80,144	52,467
Depreciation		66,880	60,525	55,949
Amortization of intangible assets		67,690	50,104	30,838
Spectrum repacking reimbursements and other, net (see Note 11)		(9,955)	(5,335)	(11,701)
Total		2,066,798	1,740,479	1,508,806
Operating income		870,982	559,018	698,476
Non-operating income (expense):
Equity income in unconsolidated investments, net		10,397	10,149	13,792
Interest expense		(210,294)	(205,470)	(192,065)
Other non-operating items, net		(34,029)	11,960	(11,496)
Total		(233,926)	(183,361)	(189,769)
Income before income taxes		637,056	375,657	508,707
Provision for income taxes		154,293	89,422	107,367
Income from continuing operations		482,763	286,235	401,340
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax		0	0	4,325
Net income		482,763	286,235	405,665
Net loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest		15	0	0
Net income attributable to TEGNA Inc.		$ 482,778	$ 286,235	$ 405,665
Earnings from continuing operations per share - basic (in dollars per share)		$ 2.20	$ 1.32	$ 1.86
Earnings from discontinued operations per share - basic (in dollars per share)		0	0	0.02
Net income per share - basic (in dollars per share)		2.20	1.32	1.88
Earnings from continuing operations per share - diluted (in dollars per share)		2.19	1.31	1.85
Earnings from discontinued operations per share - diluted (in dollars per share)		0	0	0.02
Net income per share - diluted (in dollars per share)		$ 2.19	$ 1.31	$ 1.87
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:
Basic (in shares)		219,232	217,138	216,184
Diluted (in shares)		219,733	217,977	216,621

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