Commitments and Contingent Liabilities	12 Months Ended
Commitments and Contingent Liabilities	Sep. 28, 2025
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingent Liabilities	COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENT LIABILITIES Capital Expenditures At September 28, 2025, we had construction and equipment purchase commitments totaling approximately $1.7 million. Income Taxes Commitments exclude unrecognized tax benefits to be recorded in accordance with ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes. We are unable to reasonably estimate the ultimate amount or timing of cash settlements with the respective taxing authorities for such matters. See Note 13. We file income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service and various state tax jurisdictions. From time to time, we are subject to routine audits by those agencies, and those audits may result in proposed adjustments. We have considered the alternative interpretations that may be assumed by the various taxing agencies, believe our positions taken regarding our filings are valid, and that adequate tax liabilities have been recorded to resolve such matters. However, the actual outcome cannot be determined with certainty and the difference could be material, either positively or negatively, to the Consolidated Statements of (Loss) Income and Comprehensive Income (Loss) in the periods in which such matters are ultimately determined. We do not believe the final resolution of such matters will be material to our consolidated financial position or cash flows. We have various income tax examinations ongoing and at various stages of completion, but generally our income tax returns have been audited or closed to audit through 2014. Legal Proceedings We are involved in a variety of legal actions that arise in the normal course of business. Insurance coverage mitigates potential loss for certain of these matters. While we are unable to predict the ultimate outcome of these legal actions, it is our opinion that the disposition of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on our Consolidated Financial Statements, taken as a whole. Stoudemire et al. v. Lee Enterprises, Incorporated (Video Privacy Claim). On December 19, 2022, named Plaintiffs filed a Complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa alleging Company news websites violate the Video Privacy Protection Act by disclosing to third parties certain data about users’ video-watching habits. In particular, the Complaint alleges the websites use Facebook Pixel, a technology that allegedly links a user’s Facebook profile to videos the user watches on the Company’s website. The claimants are asserting class action claims and allege statutory damages of $2,500 per class member, punitive damages, and attorneys’ fees. In July 2023, the Court denied the Company’s Motion to Dismiss. This claim has been submitted for coverage under the Company’s media insurance policy. The parties successfully mediated the case on November 5, 2024, and the court granted final approval of the class action settlement on August 14, 2025. The entire $9.5 million settlement amount will be paid by the Company's insurance carriers. The settlement liability and insurance receivable are recorded within “Compensation and other accrued liabilities” and “Prepaids and other” on the Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 28, 2025 and September 29, 2024, respectively. Fetes et al. v. Lee Enterprises. Incorporated (Cyber Incident). On June 12, 2025, Sarah Fetes filed a Complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa alleging claims arising out of a February 2025 cybersecurity incident, during which a third-party threat actor potentially accessed personal information of past and present Company employees existing on Company systems. Fetes and five additional named Plaintiffs filed a Consolidated Complaint on August 11, 2025. Plaintiffs allege the Company failed to properly secure and safeguard personally identifiable information collected as part of Company's regular business practices. Plaintiffs seek damages for invasion of privacy and misuse of the compromised data, on behalf of themselves and a class consisting of approximately 39,700 individuals who received data breach notifications. This claim has been submitted for coverage under the Company's media insurance policy. The parties have reached a tentative settlement, all of which will be paid by the Company's insurance carriers, in an amount that will be publicly disclosed through the court process. The settlement is subject to required court approval and open to objection by class members. The Company anticipates final approval of the settlement by August 2026. Lineup Systems Corporation v. Lee Enterprises, Incorporated. In July 2025, Lineup filed suit against the Company for breach of contract, breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and quantum meruit arising from the contract between the two people for an accounting software program. The suit claims $7 million in damages for failure to pay owed amounts, attorneys fees and interest. The Company filed a counter claim alleging breach of contract and fraudulent inducement. Trial has been set for October 18, 2027. Currently, losses or possible losses are not reasonably estimable.