Consolidated Statements of Income - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
		Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020
Income Statement [Abstract]
Revenues		$ 732,908	$ 577,627	$ 1,459,959	$ 1,261,816
Operating expenses:
Cost of revenues	[1]	397,118	355,367	791,810	724,735
Business units - Selling, general and administrative expenses		96,949	85,008	186,275	177,976
Corporate - General and administrative expenses		23,183	28,312	40,053	50,026
Depreciation		15,838	16,711	31,734	33,611
Amortization of intangible assets		15,773	17,248	31,533	33,464
Spectrum repacking reimbursements and other, net		(1,475)	(116)	(2,898)	(7,631)
Total		547,386	502,530	1,078,507	1,012,181
Operating income		185,522	75,097	381,452	249,635
Non-operating income (expense):
Equity (loss) income in unconsolidated investments, net		(2,597)	1,921	(3,926)	10,936
Interest expense		(46,609)	(51,877)	(93,094)	(108,837)
Other non-operating items, net		1,524	1,039	1,854	(18,231)
Total		(47,682)	(48,917)	(95,166)	(116,132)
Income before income taxes		137,840	26,180	286,286	133,503
Provision for income taxes		30,986	6,607	66,600	27,732
Net Income		106,854	19,573	219,686	105,771
Net (income) loss attributable to the noncontrolling interest		(227)	374	(442)	484
Net income attributable to TEGNA Inc.		$ 106,627	$ 19,947	$ 219,244	$ 106,255
Net income per share:
Basic (in dollars per share)		$ 0.48	$ 0.09	$ 0.99	$ 0.48
Diluted (in dollars per share)		$ 0.48	$ 0.09	$ 0.99	$ 0.48
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:
Basic shares (in shares)		221,522	219,128	221,064	218,703
Diluted shares (in shares)		222,506	219,426	221,855	219,144

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