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Common Stock Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: Common stock, shares authorized (in shares) Common stock, shares issued (in shares) Unearned revenue Common stock, par value (in dollars per share) Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Text Block] Compensation and other accrued liabilities Pension Plan [Member] Accounts payable Ownership [Domain] Credit Agreement [Member] Represents information related to credit agreement. 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Newsprint and ink Newsprint and ink expense: expenses related to the consumption of newsprint and ink (both inventoried items) Advertising and Marketing Services [Member] Represents the information pertaining to advertising and marketing services. 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INN Partners, L.C. [Member] Information pertaining to INN Partners, L.C. ("TownNews.com"). Document Fiscal Period Focus Document Fiscal Year Focus Document Period End Date MNI [Member] Information pertaining to Madison Newspapers, Inc. ("MNI"). Income Statement Location [Axis] Income Statement Location [Domain] Madison Newspapers, Inc. [Member] Information pertaining to Madison Newspapers, Inc. ("MNI"). Entity File Number Entity Emerging Growth Company us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount Debt Instrument, Face Amount Document Type Entity Small Business Entity Shell Company Document Information [Line Items] Document Information [Table] BH Media Group, Inc. And The Buffalo News [Member] Information on the acquisition of BH Media Group, Inc. and The Buffalo News. Entity Filer Category Debt Instrument [Axis] Entity Current Reporting Status Debt Instrument, Name [Domain] Restructuring costs Restructuring costs and other Schedule of Intangible Assets [Table Text Block] The tabular disclosure of assets, excluding financial assets and goodwill, lacking physical substance with both finite and infinite lives by major class. us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareAmount Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount (in shares) us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanCurtailments Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation, (Increase) Decrease for Curtailment Diluted average common shares (in shares) Stock compensation Entity Tax Identification Number Entity Central Index Key Depreciation and amortization Depreciation and amortization Entity Registrant Name lee_DebtInstrumentVoluntaryPrepayments Debt Instrument, Voluntary Prepayments The cash outflow during the period from the voluntary prepayment of debt. 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Statement of Stockholders' Equity [Abstract] lee_PulitzerExcessCashFlow Pulitzer Excess Cash Flow Amount of Pulitzer Excess Cash Flow available to be used to repay debt. Income Statement [Abstract] lee_MultiemployerPlansWithdrawalObligationPeriod Multiemployer Plans, Withdrawal Obligation, Period (Year) The period of time in which an obligation recognized by withdrawing from a pension or postretirement benefit plan will be paid. 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Local Phone Number us-gaap_TableTextBlock Notes Tables Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit), Gain (Loss) Due to Curtailment us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanRecognizedNetGainLossDueToCurtailments Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit), Gain (Loss) Due to Curtailment Curtailment gain Print [Member] Represents operating revenue from digital sources. Digital [Member] Represents operating revenue from digital sources. Company's 50% share of operating income lee_OperatingIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments Amount of operating income (loss) for proportionate share of equity method investee's income (loss). us-gaap_PaymentsForProceedsFromOtherInvestingActivities Other, net Cash provided by (required for) financing activities: us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, at Federal Statutory Income Tax Rate, Percent Other us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInInventoriesAndOtherOperatingAssets Decrease in inventories and other Line of Credit Facility, Lender [Domain] lee_DistributionsGreaterLessThanEarningsOfTNIAndMNI Distributions greater (less) than earnings of TNI and MNI Distributions which are greater (less) than the earnings of TNI Partners ("TNI")and Madison Newspapers, Inc.("MNI"). 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