Note 11 - Operating Segments - Summarized Financial Information for Reportable Segments (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016
Amortization of intangible assets	$ 1,224,000	$ 1,259,000	$ 3,671,000	$ 3,777,000
Advertising	2,400,000	2,715,000	6,833,000	7,382,000
Circulation	1,385,000	1,467,000	4,258,000	4,431,000
Advertising service fees and other	778,000	720,000	2,111,000	2,014,000
Licensing and maintenance fees	3,916,000	3,679,000	11,764,000	11,433,000
Consulting fees	869,000	748,000	3,027,000	3,788,000
Other public service fees	853,000	1,009,000	2,477,000	3,547,000
Operating expenses	13,834,000	12,120,000	40,222,000	35,915,000
Income (loss) from operations	(3,633,000)	(1,782,000)	(9,752,000)	(3,320,000)
Dividends and interest income	952,000	1,277,000	3,491,000	3,013,000
Other income and capital gains	4,000	16,000	25,000	46,000
Interest and penalty expense reversal for uncertain and unrecognized tax benefits		(26,000)	743,000	(75,000)
Pretax income (loss)	(2,816,000)	(623,000)	(5,858,000)	(606,000)
Income tax (expense) benefit	1,465,000	285,000	6,015,000	525,000
Net income (loss)	(1,351,000)	(338,000)	157,000	(81,000)
Total assets	261,403,000	219,922,000	261,403,000	219,922,000	$ 225,446,000
Capital expenditures	57,000	42,000	251,000	3,670,000
Real Estate Bank Loan Secured by Logan Office [Member]
Interest expense on debt	(24,000)	(26,000)	(75,000)	(62,000)
Margin Account [Member]
Interest expense on debt	(115,000)	(82,000)	(290,000)	(208,000)
Operating Segments [Member] | Traditional Business [Member]
Amortization of intangible assets		35,000		106,000
Advertising	2,400,000	2,715,000	6,833,000	7,382,000
Circulation	1,385,000	1,467,000	4,258,000	4,431,000
Advertising service fees and other	778,000	720,000	2,111,000	2,014,000
Licensing and maintenance fees
Consulting fees
Other public service fees
Operating expenses	4,432,000	4,136,000	13,295,000	12,911,000
Income (loss) from operations	131,000	766,000	(93,000)	916,000
Dividends and interest income
Other income and capital gains	1,000	16,000	22,000	37,000
Interest and penalty expense reversal for uncertain and unrecognized tax benefits
Pretax income (loss)	108,000	756,000	(146,000)	891,000
Income tax (expense) benefit	(50,000)	(520,000)	(125,000)	(685,000)
Net income (loss)	58,000	236,000	(271,000)	206,000
Total assets	16,333,000	18,553,000	16,333,000	18,553,000
Capital expenditures		10,000	160,000	3,635,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Traditional Business [Member] | Real Estate Bank Loan Secured by Logan Office [Member]
Interest expense on debt	(24,000)	(26,000)	(75,000)	(62,000)
Operating Segments [Member] | Traditional Business [Member] | Margin Account [Member]
Interest expense on debt
Operating Segments [Member] | Journal Technologies [Member]
Amortization of intangible assets	1,224,000	1,224,000	3,671,000	3,671,000
Advertising
Circulation
Advertising service fees and other
Licensing and maintenance fees	3,916,000	3,679,000	11,764,000	11,433,000
Consulting fees	869,000	748,000	3,027,000	3,788,000
Other public service fees	853,000	1,009,000	2,477,000	3,547,000
Operating expenses	9,402,000	7,984,000	26,927,000	23,004,000
Income (loss) from operations	(3,764,000)	(2,548,000)	(9,659,000)	(4,236,000)
Dividends and interest income
Other income and capital gains
Interest and penalty expense reversal for uncertain and unrecognized tax benefits		(26,000)	743,000	(75,000)
Pretax income (loss)	(3,764,000)	(2,574,000)	(8,916,000)	(4,311,000)
Income tax (expense) benefit	1,570,000	1,010,000	6,690,000	1,680,000
Net income (loss)	(2,194,000)	(1,564,000)	(2,226,000)	(2,631,000)
Total assets	34,517,000	40,119,000	34,517,000	40,119,000
Capital expenditures	57,000	32,000	91,000	35,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Journal Technologies [Member] | Real Estate Bank Loan Secured by Logan Office [Member]
Interest expense on debt
Operating Segments [Member] | Journal Technologies [Member] | Margin Account [Member]
Interest expense on debt
Corporate, Non-Segment [Member]
Amortization of intangible assets
Advertising
Circulation
Advertising service fees and other
Licensing and maintenance fees
Consulting fees
Other public service fees
Operating expenses
Income (loss) from operations
Dividends and interest income	952,000	1,277,000	3,491,000	3,013,000
Other income and capital gains	3,000		3,000	9,000
Interest and penalty expense reversal for uncertain and unrecognized tax benefits
Pretax income (loss)	840,000	1,195,000	3,204,000	2,814,000
Income tax (expense) benefit	(55,000)	(205,000)	(550,000)	(470,000)
Net income (loss)	785,000	990,000	2,654,000	2,344,000
Total assets	210,553,000	161,250,000	210,553,000	161,250,000
Capital expenditures
Corporate, Non-Segment [Member] | Real Estate Bank Loan Secured by Logan Office [Member]
Interest expense on debt
Corporate, Non-Segment [Member] | Margin Account [Member]
Interest expense on debt	$ (115,000)	$ (82,000)	$ (290,000)	$ (208,000)