Prior Period Adjustments - Balance Sheets (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 30, 2012	Sep. 23, 2012	Jun. 24, 2012	Mar. 25, 2012	Dec. 25, 2011	Dec. 26, 2010
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 358,601	$ 308,014	$ 820,489	$ 334,374	$ 290,292	$ 206,468	$ 175,151
Short-term marketable securities	388,370	366,805	134,820	279,740	279,858	224,878	104,846
Accounts receivable (net of allowances)	191,869	190,813	237,932	195,489	227,932	230,042	247,436
Newsprint and magazine paper	7,434	9,235	8,038	11,536	13,589	16,643	14,567
Other inventory	1,931	2,213	2,376	2,373	2,817	3,144	3,213
Total inventories	9,365	11,448	10,414	13,909	16,406	19,787	17,780
Deferred income taxes	58,214	58,214	58,214	73,055	73,055	73,055	73,055
Other current assets	47,088	56,038	46,539	49,883	50,556	66,743	55,665
Assets held for sale		0	0	223,887	0	0	590,002
Total current assets	1,053,507	991,332	1,308,408	1,170,337	938,099	820,973	1,263,935
Long-term marketable securities	170,990	190,841	4,444	0	0	0	0
Investments in joint ventures	39,243	40,169	42,702	43,151	43,541	45,138	82,019
Property, plant and equipment (less accumulated depreciation and amortization)	822,414	842,383	860,385	877,883	896,093	912,338	937,140
Goodwill (less accumulated impairment losses)	121,433	120,275	122,691	121,251	306,087	506,160	121,618
Deferred income taxes	276,253	279,926	280,523	324,200	328,608	276,188	261,463
Miscellaneous assets	163,781	165,613	166,627	168,881	184,885	237,798	198,455
Total assets	2,647,621	2,630,539	2,785,780	2,705,703	2,697,313	2,798,595	2,864,630
Accounts payable	79,944	88,513	96,962	94,315	90,616	93,126	98,385
Accrued payroll and other related liabilities	73,119	60,959	95,180	97,401	81,920	80,945	112,024
Unexpired subscriptions	67,280	69,114	66,850	66,537	65,776	67,863	63,103
Accrued expenses and other	119,403	119,405	124,653	204,847	205,414	205,993	240,464
Accrued income taxes	13,355	360	38,932	0	0	0	0
Total current liabilities	353,101	338,351	422,577	463,100	443,726	447,927	513,976
Long-term debt and capital lease obligations	694,158	698,071	696,914	701,678	700,820	699,349	698,220
Pension benefits obligation	642,276	663,617	737,889	782,353	800,946	813,905	834,366
Postretirement benefits obligation	108,089	109,500	110,347	100,248	101,397	102,689	104,192
Other	145,258	144,576	152,418	154,537	155,353	151,048	177,049
Total other liabilities	1,589,781	1,615,764	1,697,568	1,738,816	1,758,516	1,766,991	1,813,827
Additional paid-in capital	27,818	27,656	25,610	31,181	34,278	35,820	32,024
Retained earnings	1,254,155	1,234,023	1,230,450	1,052,327	1,049,580	1,137,203	1,094,603	6,000
Common stock held in treasury, at cost	(90,391)	(93,506)	(96,278)	(102,690)	(107,572)	(110,827)	(110,974)
Foreign currency translation adjustments	10,091	9,858	11,327	10,418	8,286	12,382	10,928
Unrealized (loss)/gain on available-for-sale security	(498)	(1,242)	(431)	732	2,102	4,109	(652)
Funded status of benefit plans	(514,633)	(518,554)	(523,463)	(506,334)	(509,763)	(513,193)	(507,334)
Total accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of income taxes	(505,040)	(509,938)	(512,567)	(495,184)	(499,375)	(496,702)	(497,058)	14,500
Total New York Times Company stockholders’ equity	701,671	673,362	662,324	500,739	492,002	580,581	533,678
Noncontrolling interest	3,068	3,062	3,311	3,048	3,069	3,096	3,149
Total stockholders’ equity	704,739	676,424	665,635	503,787	495,071	583,677	536,827
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	2,647,621	2,630,539	2,785,780	2,705,703	2,697,313	2,798,595	2,864,630
Scenario, Previously Reported [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents		308,014	820,489	334,374	290,292	206,468	175,151
Short-term marketable securities		366,805	134,820	279,740	279,858	224,878	104,846
Accounts receivable (net of allowances)		190,813	237,932	195,489	227,932	230,042	247,436
Newsprint and magazine paper		9,235	8,038	11,536	13,589	16,643	14,567
Other inventory		2,213	2,376	2,373	2,817	3,144	3,213
Total inventories		11,448	10,414	13,909	16,406	19,787	17,780
Deferred income taxes		58,214	58,214	73,055	73,055	73,055	73,055
Other current assets		56,038	46,539	49,883	50,556	66,743	55,665
Assets held for sale		0	0	223,887	0	0	590,002
Total current assets		991,332	1,308,408	1,170,337	938,099	820,973	1,263,935
Long-term marketable securities		190,841	4,444	0	0	0	0
Investments in joint ventures		40,169	42,702	43,151	43,541	45,138	82,019
Property, plant and equipment (less accumulated depreciation and amortization)		842,383	860,385	877,883	896,093	912,338	937,140
Goodwill (less accumulated impairment losses)		120,275	122,691	121,251	306,087	506,160	121,618
Deferred income taxes		300,364	301,078	344,062	348,101	295,373	280,283
Miscellaneous assets		165,613	166,627	168,881	184,885	237,798	198,455
Total assets		2,650,977	2,806,335	2,725,565	2,716,806	2,817,780	2,883,450
Accounts payable		88,513	96,962	94,315	90,616	93,126	98,385
Accrued payroll and other related liabilities		60,959	95,180	97,401	81,920	80,945	112,024
Unexpired subscriptions		69,114	66,850	66,537	65,776	67,863	63,103
Accrued expenses and other		119,405	124,653	204,847	205,414	205,993	240,464
Accrued income taxes		0	38,932	0	0	0	0
Total current liabilities		337,991	422,577	463,100	443,726	447,927	513,976
Long-term debt and capital lease obligations		698,071	696,914	701,678	700,820	699,349	698,220
Pension benefits obligation		714,505	788,268	830,868	848,669	860,836	880,504
Postretirement benefits obligation		109,500	110,347	100,248	101,397	102,689	104,192
Other		144,576	152,418	154,537	155,353	151,048	177,049
Total other liabilities		1,666,652	1,747,947	1,787,331	1,806,239	1,813,922	1,859,965
Additional paid-in capital		27,656	25,610	31,181	34,278	35,820	32,024
Retained earnings		1,222,936	1,219,798	1,042,888	1,040,606	1,128,755	1,086,625
Common stock held in treasury, at cost		(93,506)	(96,278)	(102,690)	(107,572)	(110,827)	(110,974)
Foreign currency translation adjustments		9,858	11,327	10,418	8,286	12,382	10,928
Unrealized (loss)/gain on available-for-sale security		(1,242)	(431)	732	2,102	4,109	(652)
Funded status of benefit plans		(537,557)	(542,635)	(525,548)	(529,019)	(532,491)	(526,674)
Total accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of income taxes		(528,941)	(531,739)	(514,398)	(518,631)	(516,000)	(516,398)
Total New York Times Company stockholders’ equity		643,272	632,500	472,086	463,772	552,835	506,360
Noncontrolling interest		3,062	3,311	3,048	3,069	3,096	3,149
Total stockholders’ equity		646,334	635,811	475,134	466,841	555,931	509,509
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity		2,650,977	2,806,335	2,725,565	2,716,806	2,817,780	2,883,450
Restatement Adjustment [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents		0	0	0	0	0	0
Short-term marketable securities		0	0	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable (net of allowances)		0	0	0	0	0	0
Newsprint and magazine paper		0	0	0	0	0	0
Other inventory		0	0	0	0	0	0
Total inventories		0	0	0	0	0	0
Deferred income taxes		0	0	0	0	0	0
Other current assets		0	0	0	0	0	0
Assets held for sale		0	0	0	0	0	0
Total current assets		0	0	0	0	0	0
Long-term marketable securities		0	0	0	0	0	0
Investments in joint ventures		0	0	0	0	0	0
Property, plant and equipment (less accumulated depreciation and amortization)		0	0	0	0	0	0
Goodwill (less accumulated impairment losses)		0	0	0	0	0	0
Deferred income taxes		(20,438)	(20,555)	(19,862)	(19,493)	(19,185)	(18,820)
Miscellaneous assets		0	0	0	0	0	0
Total assets		(20,438)	(20,555)	(19,862)	(19,493)	(19,185)	(18,820)
Accounts payable		0	0	0	0	0	0
Accrued payroll and other related liabilities		0	0	0	0	0	0
Unexpired subscriptions		0	0	0	0	0	0
Accrued expenses and other		0	0	0	0	0	0
Accrued income taxes		360	0	0	0	0	0
Total current liabilities		360	0	0	0	0	0
Long-term debt and capital lease obligations		0	0	0	0	0	0
Pension benefits obligation		(50,888)	(50,379)	(48,515)	(47,723)	(46,931)	(46,138)
Postretirement benefits obligation		0	0	0	0	0	0
Other		0	0	0	0	0	0
Total other liabilities		(50,888)	(50,379)	(48,515)	(47,723)	(46,931)	(46,138)
Additional paid-in capital		0	0	0	0	0	0
Retained earnings		11,087	10,652	9,439	8,974	8,448	7,978
Common stock held in treasury, at cost		0	0	0	0	0	0
Foreign currency translation adjustments		0	0	0	0	0	0
Unrealized (loss)/gain on available-for-sale security		0	0	0	0	0	0
Funded status of benefit plans		19,003	19,172	19,214	19,256	19,298	19,340
Total accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of income taxes		19,003	19,172	19,214	19,256	19,298	19,340
Total New York Times Company stockholders’ equity		30,090	29,824	28,653	28,230	27,746	27,318
Noncontrolling interest		0	0	0	0	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity		30,090	29,824	28,653	28,230	27,746	27,318
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity		(20,438)	(20,555)	(19,862)	(19,493)	(19,185)	(18,820)
Class A Common Stock [Member]
Common stock value	15,047	15,045	15,027	15,023	15,009	15,005	15,001
Class A Common Stock [Member] | Scenario, Previously Reported [Member]
Common stock value		15,045	15,027	15,023	15,009	15,005	15,001
Class A Common Stock [Member] | Restatement Adjustment [Member]
Common stock value		0	0	0	0	0	0
Class B Common Stock [Member]
Common stock value	82	82	82	82	82	82	82
Class B Common Stock [Member] | Scenario, Previously Reported [Member]
Common stock value		82	82	82	82	82	82
Class B Common Stock [Member] | Restatement Adjustment [Member]
Common stock value		$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0