Note 8 - Pension Plans - Fair Value Hierarchy of Benefit Plan Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 26, 2021	Sep. 27, 2020
Fair Value Measured at Net Asset Value Per Share [Member]
Hedge fund investment	$ 18,758	$ 15,977
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Hedge fund investment	0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Hedge fund investment	0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Hedge fund investment	0	0
Pension Plan [Member] \| Fair Value Measured at Net Asset Value Per Share [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Debt securities	0	0
Pension Plan [Member] \| Fair Value Measured at Net Asset Value Per Share [Member] \| Domestic Equity Securities [Member]
Equity Securities, FV-NI, Current	7,236	5,500
Pension Plan [Member] \| Fair Value Measured at Net Asset Value Per Share [Member] \| Foreign Equity Securities [Member]
Equity Securities, FV-NI, Current	0	0
Pension Plan [Member] \| Fair Value Measured at Net Asset Value Per Share [Member] \| Emerging Equity Securities [Member]
Equity Securities, FV-NI, Current	0	0
Pension Plan [Member] \| Fair Value Measured at Net Asset Value Per Share [Member] \| US Treasury Securities [Member]
Equity Securities, FV-NI, Current	0	0
Pension Plan [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	4,447	17,287
Debt securities	181,908	22,253
Pension Plan [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] \| Domestic Equity Securities [Member]
Equity Securities, FV-NI, Current	78,577	151,584
Pension Plan [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] \| Foreign Equity Securities [Member]
Equity Securities, FV-NI, Current	9,485	6,893
Pension Plan [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] \| Emerging Equity Securities [Member]
Equity Securities, FV-NI, Current	8,077	7,225
Pension Plan [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] \| US Treasury Securities [Member]
Equity Securities, FV-NI, Current	7,280	6,967
Pension Plan [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Debt securities	32,781	32,167
Pension Plan [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] \| Domestic Equity Securities [Member]
Equity Securities, FV-NI, Current	42,448	60,333
Pension Plan [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] \| Foreign Equity Securities [Member]
Equity Securities, FV-NI, Current	9,505	7,396
Pension Plan [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] \| Emerging Equity Securities [Member]
Equity Securities, FV-NI, Current	0	0
Pension Plan [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] \| US Treasury Securities [Member]
Equity Securities, FV-NI, Current	0	0
Pension Plan [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Debt securities	0	0
Pension Plan [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] \| Domestic Equity Securities [Member]
Equity Securities, FV-NI, Current	0	0
Pension Plan [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] \| Foreign Equity Securities [Member]
Equity Securities, FV-NI, Current	0	0
Pension Plan [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] \| Emerging Equity Securities [Member]
Equity Securities, FV-NI, Current	0	0
Pension Plan [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] \| US Treasury Securities [Member]
Equity Securities, FV-NI, Current	$ 0	$ 0

Fair value portion of currency on hand as well as demand deposits with banks or financial institutions. Includes other kinds of accounts that have the general characteristics of demand deposits. Also includes short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates.

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of investment in equity security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in net income (FV-NI), classified as current.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1A
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123594786&loc=SL75136599-209740

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesFvNi
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value of all derivative assets designated as fair value hedging instruments.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4B
-Subparagraph (c)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=125515794&loc=SL5624163-113959

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueHedgeAssetsAtFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value of investment in debt security measured at amortized cost (held-to-maturity).

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (aa)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123581744&loc=d3e27232-111563

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(6))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120398452&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5A
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123581744&loc=SL120269820-111563

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_HeldToMaturitySecuritiesFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueMeasuredAtNetAssetValuePerShareMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel1Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel3Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RetirementPlanTypeAxis=us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=lee_DomesticEquitySecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=lee_ForeignEquitySecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=lee_EmergingEquitySecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_USTreasurySecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: