Quarterly Information (Unaudited) (Details) (USD $) Share data in Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	1 Months Ended				3 Months Ended																	12 Months Ended					3 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended			12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Nov. 30, 2012	May 31, 2012 Unit	Feb. 29, 2012 Unit	Jul. 31, 2011 Unit	Dec. 30, 2012		Sep. 23, 2012		Jun. 24, 2012 Unit		Mar. 25, 2012 Unit		Dec. 25, 2011		Sep. 25, 2011		Jun. 26, 2011		Mar. 27, 2011		Jun. 27, 2010 Unit	Dec. 30, 2012		Dec. 25, 2011		Dec. 26, 2010	Sep. 25, 2011 Notes Due 2015 Called 2011 [Member]	Jan. 31, 2009 Notes Due 2015 Called 2011 [Member]	Jun. 26, 2011 Assets Held-for-sale [Member]	Oct. 31, 2012 Indeed.com [Member] Cost-method Investments [Member]	Dec. 30, 2012 Indeed.com [Member] Cost-method Investments [Member]	Mar. 27, 2011 Indeed.com [Member] Cost-method Investments [Member]	Dec. 30, 2012 Legal Settlement [Member]	Dec. 30, 2012 Legal Settlement [Member]	Dec. 25, 2011 Retirement and Consulting Agreement [Member]	Dec. 25, 2011 Retirement and Consulting Agreement [Member]
Schedule of Interim Reporting [Line Items]
Revenues					$ 575,818,000		$ 449,028,000		$ 489,802,000		$ 475,432,000		$ 547,395,000		$ 451,569,000		$ 484,144,000		$ 469,522,000			$ 1,990,080,000		$ 1,952,630,000		$ 1,980,727,000
Operating costs					480,461,000		440,519,000		446,599,000		462,812,000		452,081,000		430,520,000		450,674,000		457,750,000			1,830,391,000		1,791,025,000		1,813,003,000
Impairment of assets													0	[1]	0	[1]	9,225,000	[1]	0	[1]		0		9,225,000	[1]	16,148,000			9,225,000
Pension settlement expense					48,729,000	[2]	0	[2]	0	[2]	0	[2]										48,729,000	[2]	0		0
Pension withdrawal expense													0	[3]	0	[3]	4,228,000	[3]	0	[3]		0		4,228,000	[3]	6,268,000
Other expense					2,620,000	[4]	0	[4]	0	[4]	0	[4]	4,500,000	[5]	0	[5]	0	[5]	0	[5]		2,620,000	[4]	4,500,000	[5]	0							2,600,000	2,600,000	4,500,000	4,500,000
Operating profit					44,008,000		8,509,000		43,203,000		12,620,000		90,814,000		21,049,000		20,017,000		11,772,000			108,340,000		143,652,000		145,308,000
Gain on sale of investments					164,630,000	[6]	0	[6]	37,797,000	[6]	17,848,000	[6]	0	[7]	65,273,000	[7]	0	[7]	5,898,000	[7]	9,128,000	220,275,000	[6]	71,171,000	[7]	9,128,000						5,900,000
Impairment of investments					0	[8]	600,000	[8]	0	[8]	4,900,000	[8]										5,500,000	[8]	0		0
Income from joint ventures					927,000		1,027,000		1,079,000		(29,000)		4,054,000		(1,068,000)		2,791,000		(5,749,000)			3,004,000		28,000		19,035,000
Premium on debt redemption	1,400,000												0	[9]	46,381,000	[9]	0	[9]	0	[9]		0		46,381,000	[9]	0	46,400,000
Interest expense, net					16,402,000		15,497,000		15,464,000		15,452,000		15,461,000		20,039,000		25,152,000		24,591,000			62,815,000		85,243,000		85,062,000
(Loss)/income from continuing operations before income taxes					193,163,000		(6,561,000)		66,615,000		10,087,000		79,407,000		18,834,000		(2,344,000)		(12,670,000)			263,304,000		83,227,000		88,409,000
Income tax (benefit)/expense					75,775,000		(2,796,000)		29,102,000		1,401,000		28,423,000		12,440,000		(2,902,000)		(6,029,000)			103,482,000		31,932,000		33,317,000
Income from continuing operations					117,388,000		(3,765,000)		37,513,000		8,686,000		50,984,000		6,394,000		558,000		(6,641,000)			159,822,000		51,295,000		55,092,000
(Loss)/income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes					59,789,000		6,026,000		(125,689,000)		33,391,000		7,921,000		9,074,000		(120,381,000)		11,867,000			(26,483,000)		(91,519,000)		53,626,000
Net income/(loss)					177,177,000		2,261,000		(88,176,000)		42,077,000		58,905,000		15,468,000		(119,823,000)		5,226,000			133,339,000		(40,224,000)		108,718,000
Net loss/(income) attributable to the noncontrolling interest					(267,000)		21,000		27,000		53,000		40,000		217,000		105,000		193,000			(166,000)		555,000		(1,014,000)
Net income/(loss) attributable to The New York Times Company common stockholders					176,910,000		2,282,000		(88,149,000)		42,130,000		58,945,000		15,685,000		(119,718,000)		5,419,000			133,173,000		(39,669,000)		107,704,000
Income from continuing operations					117,121,000		(3,744,000)		37,540,000		8,739,000		51,024,000		6,611,000		663,000		(6,448,000)			159,656,000		51,850,000		54,078,000
Average number of common shares outstanding - basic (in shares)					148,461		148,254		148,005		147,867		147,451		147,355		147,176		146,777			148,147		147,190		145,636
Average number of common shares outstanding - diluted (in shares)					154,685		148,254		149,799		151,468		149,887		151,293		151,802		146,777			152,693		152,007		152,600
(Loss)/income from continuing operations (USD per share)					$ 0.79		$ (0.02)		$ 0.25		$ 0.06		$ 0.35		$ 0.05		$ 0.01		$ (0.04)			$ 1.08		$ 0.35		$ 0.37
Income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes (USD per share)					$ 0.40		$ 0.04		$ (0.85)		$ 0.22		$ 0.05		$ 0.06		$ (0.82)		$ 0.08			$ (0.18)		$ (0.62)		$ 0.37
Net income/(loss) (USD per share)					$ 1.19		$ 0.02		$ (0.60)		$ 0.28		$ 0.40		$ 0.11		$ (0.81)		$ 0.04			$ 0.90		$ (0.27)		$ 0.74
(Loss)/income from continuing operations (USD per share)					$ 0.76		$ (0.02)		$ 0.25		$ 0.06		$ 0.34		$ 0.04		$ 0.00		$ (0.04)			$ 1.04		$ 0.34		$ 0.35
Income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes (USD per share)					$ 0.38		$ 0.04		$ (0.84)		$ 0.22		$ 0.05		$ 0.06		$ (0.79)		$ 0.08			$ (0.17)		$ (0.60)		$ 0.36
Income/(loss) per share attributable to The New York Times Company common stockholders–Diluted (USD per share)					$ 1.14		$ 0.02		$ (0.59)		$ 0.28		$ 0.39		$ 0.10		$ (0.79)		$ 0.04			$ 0.87		$ (0.26)		$ 0.71
Units sold in Fenway Sports Group		210	100	390							100										50
Units Owned of Fenway Sports Group After Sale									210
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Investments																														164,600,000	164,600,000
Impairment of assets, property, plant and equipment																								1,767,000		16,148,000
Debt repaid																											$ 250,000,000
Interest rate on debt																												14.053%

[1] In the second quarter of 2011, we recorded a $9.2 million charge for the impairment of assets related to certain assets held for sale primarily of Baseline.

[2] In the fourth quarter of 2012, we recorded a $48.7 million non-cash pension settlement charge in connection with the immediate pension benefit offer to certain former employees who participate in The New York Times Companies Pension Plan.

[3] In the second quarter of 2011, we recorded a $4.2 million estimated charge for our pension withdrawal obligation under a multiemployer pension plan at the Globe.

[4] In the fourth quarter of 2012, we recorded a $2.6 million charge in connection with a legal settlement.

[5] In the fourth quarter of 2011, we recorded a $4.5 million charge for a retirement and consulting agreement in connection with the retirement of our former chief executive officer.

[6] In the first quarter of 2012, we recorded a $17.8 million gain on the sale of 100 of our units in Fenway Sports Group. In the second quarter of 2012, we recorded a $37.8 million gain on the sale of our remaining 210 units in Fenway Sports Group. In the fourth quarter of 2012, we recorded a $164.6 million gain on the sale of our ownership interest in Indeed.com.

[7] In the first quarter of 2011, we recorded a $5.9 million gain from the sale of a portion of our interest in Indeed.com. In the third quarter of 2011, we recorded a $65.3 million gain from the sale of 390 units in Fenway Sports Group.

[8] In the first and third quarters of 2012, we recorded a $4.9 million and $0.6 million non-cash charge, respectively, for the impairment of certain investments.

[9] In the third quarter of 2011, we recorded a $46.4 million charge in connection with the prepayment of all $250.0 million aggregate principal amount of the 14.053% Notes.