Quarterly Information (Unaudited) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended									12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2020	Dec. 27, 2020	Sep. 27, 2020	Jun. 28, 2020	Mar. 29, 2020	Dec. 29, 2019	Sep. 29, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 27, 2020	Dec. 29, 2019	Dec. 30, 2018
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Revenues		$ 509,358,000	$ 426,895,000	$ 403,750,000	$ 443,636,000	$ 508,363,000	$ 428,501,000	$ 436,258,000	$ 439,062,000		$ 1,783,639,000	$ 1,812,184,000	$ 1,748,598,000
Operating costs		428,824,000	387,299,000	374,944,000	416,316,000	430,398,000	401,452,000	398,325,000	404,464,000		1,607,383,000	1,634,639,000	1,558,778,000
Restructuring charge						0	4,008,000	0	0		0	4,008,000	0
Gain from pension liability adjustment						0	(2,045,000)	0	0	$ (4,900,000)	0	(2,045,000)	(4,851,000)
Operating profit		80,534,000	39,596,000	28,806,000	27,320,000	77,965,000	25,086,000	37,933,000	34,598,000		176,256,000	175,582,000	190,167,000
Other components of net periodic benefit costs		82,419,000	2,272,000	2,149,000	2,314,000	1,800,000	1,834,000	1,833,000	1,835,000		89,154,000	7,302,000	8,274,000
Gain from joint ventures		5,000,000	0	0	0						5,000,000	0	10,764,000
Interest income/(expense) and other, net		3,153,000	3,537,000	2,786,000	13,854,000	(248,000)	(755,000)	(1,514,000)	(1,303,000)		23,330,000	(3,820,000)	(16,566,000)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes		6,268,000	40,861,000	29,443,000	38,860,000	75,917,000	22,497,000	34,586,000	31,460,000		115,432,000	164,460,000	176,091,000
Income tax expense/(benefit)		(4,475,000)	7,283,000	5,781,000	6,006,000	7,705,000	6,070,000	9,415,000	1,304,000		14,595,000	24,494,000	48,631,000
Net income		10,743,000	33,578,000	23,662,000	32,854,000						100,837,000	139,966,000	127,460,000
Net income attributable to the noncontrolling interest		(734,000)	0	0	0						(734,000)	0	(1,776,000)
Net income attributable to The New York Times Company common stockholders		$ 10,009,000	$ 33,578,000	$ 23,662,000	$ 32,854,000	$ 68,212,000	$ 16,427,000	$ 25,171,000	$ 30,156,000		$ 100,103,000	$ 139,966,000	$ 125,684,000
Average number of common shares outstanding:
Basic (in shares)		167,367	167,075	166,869	166,549	166,239	166,148	166,152	165,674		166,973	166,042	164,845
Diluted (in shares)		168,197	168,059	168,083	167,845	167,728	167,555	167,549	167,129		168,038	167,545	166,939
Basic earnings per share attributable to The New York Times Company common stockholders:
Net income (USD per share)		$ 0.06	$ 0.20	$ 0.14	$ 0.20	$ 0.41	$ 0.10	$ 0.15	$ 0.18		$ 0.60	$ 0.84	$ 0.76
Diluted earnings per share attributable to The New York Times Company common stockholders:
Net income (USD per share)		0.06	0.20	0.14	0.20	0.41	0.10	0.15	0.18		0.60	0.83	0.75
Dividends declared per share (USD per share)		$ 0.06	$ 0.12	$ 0	$ 0.06	$ 0.05	$ 0.05	$ 0.05	$ 0.05		$ 0.24	$ 0.20	$ 0.16
Pension settlement charges	$ (80,600,000)	$ 80,600,000
Gain on non-marketable equity investment					$ 10,100,000
Gain from pension liability adjustment						$ 0	$ 2,045,000	$ 0	$ 0	$ 4,900,000	$ 0	$ 2,045,000	$ 4,851,000