Long-Term Debt - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	6 Months Ended
Jun. 26, 2011
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Reduction in long-term debt reflecting repayments of borrowings, net of discount amortization	$ 331,000,000
Revolving credit agreements, repayments	334,000,000
Revolving credit agreements, unused borrowing commitments	1,310,000,000
Revolving credit agreements, additional unsecured debt allowed to be borrowed	$ 1,000,000,000

Line of Credit Facility, Additional Borrowing Capacity

Name:	gci_LineOfCreditFacilityAdditionalBorrowingCapacity
Namespace Prefix:	gci
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Reduction In Long Term Debt, Repayments, Net Of Discount Amortization

+ Details

Name:	gci_ReductionInLongTermDebtRepaymentsNetOfDiscountAmortization
Namespace Prefix:	gci
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Decrease for amounts repaid on the credit facility for the period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Article 4
-Section 08
-Paragraph f

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(f))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6881521&loc=d3e23780-122690

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityDecreaseRepayments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of borrowing capacity currently available under the credit facility (current borrowing capacity less the amount of borrowings outstanding).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 19, 22
-Article 5

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19(b),22(b))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityRemainingBorrowingCapacity
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant