Quarterly Financial Information (Unaudited) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018		Sep. 30, 2018		Jun. 30, 2018		Mar. 31, 2018		Dec. 31, 2017		Sep. 30, 2017		Jun. 30, 2017		Mar. 31, 2017		Dec. 31, 2018		Dec. 31, 2017		Dec. 31, 2016
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	$ 578,733		$ 498,008		$ 489,358		$ 443,635		$ 488,999		$ 450,533		$ 469,517		$ 439,910		$ 2,009,734	[1]	$ 1,848,959	[1]	$ 1,947,930	[1]
Total operating profit	165,965		37,124		98,066		187,285		123,419		(29,452)		12,653		(20,967)		488,440	[1]	85,653	[1]	408,772	[1]
Income on equity investments, net	45,249		32,381		52,568		39,137		38,506		21,058		40,761		37,037		169,335		137,362		148,156
Interest and dividend income	4,751		3,239		2,336		1,898		1,269		827		548		505		12,224		3,149		1,226
Interest expense	(43,570)		(42,842)		(41,990)		(40,631)		(40,055)		(40,389)		(40,185)		(38,758)		(169,033)		(159,387)		(152,719)
Pension and other postretirement periodic benefit credit, net	7,035		7,035		6,985		7,084		5,704		5,703		5,673		5,735		28,139		22,815		24,802
Loss on extinguishments and modification of debt									0	[2]	(1,435)	[2]	0	[2]	(19,052)	[2]	0		(20,487)	[2]	0
Gain (loss) on investment transactions, net	0	[2]	(5,001)	[2]	0	[2]	3,888	[2]	(2,486)	[2]	5,667	[2]	0	[2]	4,950	[2]	(1,113)	[2]	8,131	[2]	0
Write-downs of investments									(12,694)	[2]	0	[2]	(58,800)	[2]	(122,000)	[2]	0		(193,494)	[2]	0
Other non-operating (loss) gain, net	15	[2]	(38)	[2]	(26)	[2]	117	[2]	26	[2]	0	[2]	71	[2]	(26)	[2]	68	[2]	71	[2]	5,427
Reorganization items, net	(578)	[3]	(244)	[3]	(685)	[3]	(893)	[3]	(657)	[3]	(753)	[3]	(449)	[3]	(250)	[3]	(2,400)	[3]	(2,109)	[3]	(1,422)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes	178,867		31,654		117,254		197,885		113,032		(38,774)		(39,728)		(152,826)		525,660		(118,296)		434,242
Income tax expense (benefit)	46,034		(22,422)		32,816		56,702		(219,767)		(20,087)		(9,905)		(51,614)		113,130		(301,373)		347,202
Income from Continuing Operations	132,833		54,076		84,438		141,183		332,799		(18,687)		(29,823)		(101,212)		412,530		183,077		87,040
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, net of taxes	0		0		0		0		(619)		0		(579)		15,618		0		14,420		(72,794)
Net Income (Loss)	132,833		54,076		84,438		141,183		332,180		(18,687)		(30,402)		(85,594)		412,530		197,497		14,246
Net loss (income) from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests	8		23		4		6		(3,378)		0		0		0		41		(3,378)		0
Net (Loss) Income Attributable to Tribune Media Company	$ 132,841		$ 54,099		$ 84,442		$ 141,189		$ 328,802		$ (18,687)		$ (30,402)		$ (85,594)		$ 412,571		$ 194,119		$ 14,246
Continuing Operations	$ 1.51		$ 0.62		$ 0.96		$ 1.61		$ 3.77		$ (0.21)		$ (0.34)		$ (1.17)		$ 4.71		$ 2.06		$ 0.96
Discontinued Operations	0.00		0.00		0.00		0.00		(0.01)		0.00		(0.01)		0.18		0.00		0.17		(0.80)
Net Earnings Per Common Share	1.51		0.62		0.96		1.61		3.76		(0.21)		(0.35)		(0.99)		4.71		2.23		0.16
Continuing Operations	1.50		0.61		0.96		1.60		3.73		(0.21)		(0.34)		(1.17)		4.67		2.04		0.96
Discontinued Operations	0.00		0.00		0.00		0.00		(0.01)		0.00		(0.01)		0.18		0.00		0.16		(0.80)
Net Earnings Per Common Share	$ 1.50		$ 0.61		$ 0.96		$ 1.60		$ 3.72		$ (0.21)		$ (0.35)		$ (0.99)		$ 4.67		$ 2.20		$ 0.16
Television and Entertainment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues																	$ 1,998,678		$ 1,835,423	[4]	$ 1,909,896	[4]
Operating Segments | Television and Entertainment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	$ 576,940		$ 494,619		$ 486,417		$ 440,702		$ 486,022		$ 447,307		$ 466,061		$ 436,033		1,998,678	[1]	1,835,423	[1]	1,909,896	[1]
Total operating profit	184,357		67,295		119,767		211,852		127,225		(1,357)		50,219		20,013		583,271	[1]	196,100	[1]	324,837	[1]
Corporate, Non-Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	1,793		3,389		2,941		2,933		2,977		3,226		3,456		3,877		11,056	[1]	13,536	[1]	38,034	[1]
Total operating profit	$ (18,392)		$ (30,171)		$ (21,701)		$ (24,567)		$ (3,806)		$ (28,095)		$ (37,566)		$ (40,980)		$ (94,831)	[1]	$ (110,447)	[1]	$ 83,935	[1]

[1] (1)See Note 2 for the disclosures of operating revenues and operating loss included in discontinued operations for the historical periods.

[2] See Note 3 to the Company’s consolidated financial statements for information pertaining to non-operating items recorded in 2018 and 2017.

[3] See Note 10 to the Company’s consolidated financial statements for information pertaining to reorganization items recorded in 2018 and 2017.

[4] (1)Prior period amounts have not been adjusted under the modified retrospective method.