CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Income Statement [Abstract]
Revenues		$ 2,991,093	$ 2,937,780	$ 2,299,497
Operating expenses:
Cost of revenues	[1]	1,598,759	1,503,287	1,228,237
Business units - Selling, general and administrative expenses		396,446	365,601	326,804
Corporate - General and administrative expenses		68,127	73,295	80,144
Depreciation		64,841	66,880	60,525
Amortization of intangible assets		63,011	67,690	50,104
Spectrum repacking reimbursements and other, net (see Note 10)		(2,307)	(9,955)	(5,335)
Total		2,188,877	2,066,798	1,740,479
Operating income		802,216	870,982	559,018
Non-operating income (expense):
Equity (loss) income in unconsolidated investments, net		(9,713)	10,397	10,149
Interest expense		(185,650)	(210,294)	(205,470)
Other non-operating items, net		6,825	(34,029)	11,960
Total		(188,538)	(233,926)	(183,361)
Income before income taxes		613,678	637,056	375,657
Provision for income taxes		135,481	154,293	89,422
Net Income		478,197	482,763	286,235
Net (income) loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest		(1,242)	15	0
Net income attributable to TEGNA Inc.		$ 476,955	$ 482,778	$ 286,235
Earnings per share - basic (in dollars per share)		$ 2.15	$ 2.20	$ 1.32
Earnings per share - diluted (in dollars per share)		$ 2.14	$ 2.19	$ 1.31
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:
Basic (in shares)		221,504	219,232	217,138
Diluted (in shares)		222,471	219,733	217,977

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