Gannett (GCI) 10-Q 3 Nov 20 2020 Q3 Quarterly report Financial data

Cover Page

Cover Page - shares	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Nov. 02, 2020
Entity Information
Document Type	10-Q
Document Quarterly Report	true
Document Period End Date	Sep. 30, 2020
Document Transition Report	false
Entity File Number	001-36097
Entity Registrant Name	GANNETT CO., INC.
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	DE
Entity Tax Identification Number	38-3910250
Entity Address, Address Line One	7950 Jones Branch Drive,
Entity Address, City or Town	McLean,
Entity Address, State or Province	VA
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	22107-0910
City Area Code	703
Local Phone Number	854-6000
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Interactive Data Current	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Small Business	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Shell Company	false
Entity Common Stock Shares Outstanding		137,959,262
Entity Central Index Key	0001579684
Amendment Flag	false
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2020
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q3
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Common stock
Entity Information
Title of Each Class	Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share
Trading Symbol	GCI
Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered	NYSE
Preferred Stock Purchase Rights
Entity Information
Title of Each Class	Preferred Stock Purchase Rights
Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered	NYSE
No Trading Symbol	true

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 188,960	$ 156,042
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $23,749 and $19,923	288,400	438,523
Inventories	33,776	55,090
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	115,137	129,460
Total current assets	626,273	779,115
Property, plant and equipment, at cost net of accumulated depreciation of $377,072 and $277,291	704,931	815,807
Operating lease assets	295,775	309,112
Goodwill	560,215	914,331
Intangible assets, net	893,721	1,012,564
Deferred income tax assets	97,369	76,297
Other assets	136,019	112,876
Total assets	3,314,303	4,020,102
Current liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	340,840	453,628
Deferred revenue	207,597	218,823
Current portion of long-term debt	15,179	3,300
Other current liabilities	46,558	42,702
Total current liabilities	610,174	718,453
Long-term debt	1,615,984	1,636,335
Convertible debt	3,300	3,300
Deferred tax liabilities	6,256	9,052
Pension and other postretirement benefit obligations	198,220	235,906
Long-term operating lease liabilities	280,556	297,662
Other long-term liabilities	169,536	136,188
Total noncurrent liabilities	2,273,852	2,318,443
Total liabilities	2,884,026	3,036,896
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	4,148	1,850
Commitments and contingent liabilities (See Note 13)
Equity
Common stock of $0.01 par value per share, 2,000,000,000 shares authorized, 137,478,696 issued and 136,305,720 shares outstanding at September 30, 2020; 129,386,258 issued and 128,991,544 shares outstanding at December 31, 2019	1,375	1,294
Treasury stock at cost, 1,172,976 and 394,714 shares at September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively	(4,841)	(2,876)
Additional paid-in capital	1,100,269	1,090,694
Accumulated deficit	(664,263)	(115,958)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(6,411)	8,202
Total equity	426,129	981,356
Total liabilities and equity	$ 3,314,303	$ 4,020,102

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANC_2

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Allowance for doubtful accounts receivable	$ 23,749	$ 19,923
Accumulated Depreciation	$ 377,072	$ 277,291
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock, authorized (in shares)	2,000,000,000	2,000,000,000
Common stock, issued (in shares)	137,478,696	129,386,258
Common stock, outstanding (in shares)	136,305,720	128,991,544
Treasury stock (in shares)	1,172,976	394,714

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMEN

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019
Operating revenues:
Total operating revenues	$ 814,539	$ 376,649	$ 2,530,223	$ 1,168,636
Operating expenses:
Operating costs	492,342	218,369	1,535,539	681,271
Selling, general and administrative expenses	241,652	119,821	767,275	375,497
Depreciation and amortization	61,355	24,482	205,706	68,733
Integration and reorganization costs	13,417	3,136	73,978	13,213
Acquisition costs	1,913	12,181	10,261	15,318
Asset impairments	1,585	0	8,444	2,469
Goodwill and intangible impairments	0	0	393,446	0
Loss on sale or disposal of assets	795	602	1,540	3,339
Total operating expenses	813,059	378,591	2,996,189	1,159,840
Operating income (loss)	1,480	(1,942)	(465,966)	8,796
Non-operating (income) expenses:
Interest expense	58,063	10,030	173,890	30,376
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	476	0	1,650	0
Non-operating pension income	(18,334)	(208)	(54,433)	(625)
Gain on sale of investments	(7,800)	0	(7,995)	0
Other income, net	(2,575)	(22)	(6,993)	(176)
Non-operating expenses	29,830	9,800	106,119	29,575
Net loss before income taxes	(28,350)	(11,742)	(572,085)	(20,779)
Income tax expense (benefit)	3,098	7,226	(22,200)	4,929
Net loss	(31,448)	(18,968)	(549,885)	(25,708)
Net loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interests	(188)	(505)	(1,580)	(954)
Net loss attributable to Gannett	$ (31,260)	$ (18,463)	$ (548,305)	$ (24,754)
Loss per share attributable to Gannett – basic (in dollars per share)	$ (0.24)	$ (0.31)	$ (4.17)	$ (0.41)
Loss per share attributable to Gannett– diluted (in dollars per share)	(0.24)	(0.31)	(4.17)	(0.41)
Dividends declared per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0	$ 0.38	$ 0	$ 1.14
Other comprehensive loss:
Foreign currency translation adjustments	$ 7,677	$ (3)	$ (8,908)	$ 0
Pension and other postretirement benefit items:
Net actuarial loss	0	0	(8,078)	0
Amortization of net actuarial gain	(11)	(30)	(36)	(90)
Other	(714)	0	347	0
Total pension and other postretirement benefit items	(725)	(30)	(7,767)	(90)
Other comprehensive income (loss) before tax	6,952	(33)	(16,675)	(90)
Income tax expense (benefit) related to components of other comprehensive income	1	0	(2,062)	0
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	6,951	(33)	(14,613)	(90)
Comprehensive loss	(24,497)	(19,001)	(564,498)	(25,798)
Comprehensive loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interests	(188)	(505)	(1,580)	(954)
Comprehensive loss attributable to Gannett	(24,309)	(18,496)	(562,918)	(24,844)
Advertising and marketing services
Operating revenues:
Total operating revenues	405,227	184,078	1,249,156	582,320
Circulation
Operating revenues:
Total operating revenues	336,158	146,254	1,053,528	449,269
Other
Operating revenues:
Total operating revenues	$ 73,154	$ 46,317	$ 227,539	$ 137,047

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEM_2

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EQUITY - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Adjustments	Common stock	Additional Paid-in Capital	Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit)	Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit)Adjustments	Treasury stock
Beginning balance at Dec. 30, 2018	$ 717,223	$ 115	$ 605	$ 721,605	$ (6,881)	$ 3,767	$ 115	$ (1,873)
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 30, 2018			60,508,249					201,963
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity
Net loss	(24,754)					(24,754)
Restricted share grants			$ 3	(3)
Restricted share grants (in shares)			299,610
Other comprehensive income, net of income tax	(90)				(90)
Equity-based compensation expense	2,534			2,534
Purchase of treasury stock	(716)							$ (716)
Purchase of treasury stock (in shares)								54,320
Restricted share forfeiture (in shares)								70,459
Dividends declared	(68,854)			(68,854)
Ending balance at Sep. 29, 2019	625,458		$ 608	655,282	(6,971)	(20,872)		$ (2,589)
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 29, 2019			60,807,859					326,742
Beginning balance at Jun. 30, 2019	666,262		$ 608	677,574	(6,938)	(2,409)		$ (2,573)
Beginning balance (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2019			60,806,451					324,777
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity
Net loss	(18,463)					(18,463)
Restricted share grants (in shares)			1,408
Other comprehensive income, net of income tax	(33)				(33)
Equity-based compensation expense	691			691
Purchase of treasury stock	(16)							$ (16)
Purchase of treasury stock (in shares)								1,599
Restricted share forfeiture (in shares)								366
Dividends declared	(22,983)			(22,983)
Ending balance at Sep. 29, 2019	625,458		$ 608	655,282	(6,971)	(20,872)		$ (2,589)
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 29, 2019			60,807,859					326,742
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2019	981,356		$ 1,294	1,090,694	8,202	(115,958)		$ (2,876)
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2019			129,386,258					394,714
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity
Net loss	(548,305)					(548,305)
Restricted share grants			$ 44	(44)
Restricted share grants (in shares)			4,346,313
Restricted stock awards settled, net of withholdings	(10,788)		$ 31	(10,819)
Restricted stock awards settled, net of withholdings (in shares)			3,072,991
Other comprehensive income, net of income tax	(14,613)				(14,613)
Equity-based compensation expense	22,812			22,812
Issuance of common stock	1,615		$ 6	1,609
Issuance of common stock (in shares)			673,134
Remeasurement of redeemable noncontrolling interests	(3,878)			(3,878)
Purchase of treasury stock	(1,960)							$ (1,960)
Purchase of treasury stock (in shares)								322,524
Restricted share forfeiture	(5)							$ (5)
Restricted share forfeiture (in shares)								455,738
Other activity	(105)			(105)
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2020	426,129		$ 1,375	1,100,269	(6,411)	(664,263)		$ (4,841)
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2020			137,478,696					1,172,976
Beginning balance at Jun. 30, 2020	452,085		$ 1,369	1,101,899	(13,362)	(633,003)		$ (4,818)
Beginning balance (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2020			136,885,320					770,973
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity
Net loss	(31,260)					(31,260)
Restricted stock awards settled, net of withholdings	(860)		$ 6	(866)
Restricted stock awards settled, net of withholdings (in shares)			564,406
Other comprehensive income, net of income tax	6,951				6,951
Equity-based compensation expense	3,844			3,844
Issuance of common stock	(961)			(961)
Issuance of common stock (in shares)			28,970
Remeasurement of redeemable noncontrolling interests	(3,878)			(3,878)
Purchase of treasury stock	(19)							$ (19)
Purchase of treasury stock (in shares)								4,837
Restricted share forfeiture	(4)							$ (4)
Restricted share forfeiture (in shares)								397,166
Other activity	231			231
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2020	$ 426,129		$ 1,375	$ 1,100,269	$ (6,411)	$ (664,263)		$ (4,841)
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2020			137,478,696					1,172,976

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEM_3

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EQUITY (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019
Statement of Stockholders' Equity [Abstract]
Other comprehensive income, tax expense (benefit)	$ 1	$ 0	$ (2,062)	$ 0

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEM_4

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net loss	$ (549,885,000)	$ (25,708,000)
Adjustments to reconcile net income to operating cash flows:
Depreciation and amortization	205,706,000	68,733,000
Equity-based compensation expense	22,812,000	2,534,000
Non-cash interest expense	17,813,000	1,034,000
Loss on sale or disposal of assets	1,540,000	3,339,000
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	1,650,000	0
Goodwill and intangible impairments	393,446,000	0
Asset impairments	8,444,000	2,469,000
Pension and other postretirement benefit obligations, net of contributions	(77,274,000)	(1,116,000)
Change in other assets and liabilities, net	50,028,000	47,245,000
Net cash provided by operating activities	74,280,000	98,530,000
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	(49,666,000)
Purchase of property, plant and equipment	(28,944,000)	(7,281,000)
Proceeds from sale of real estate and other assets	26,186,000	10,314,000
Insurance proceeds received for damage to property	1,643,000	0
Change in other investing activities	(864,000)	0
Net cash used for investing activities	(1,979,000)	(46,633,000)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments under term loans	(27,619,000)	(11,296,000)
Borrowings under revolving credit facility	0	136,400,000
Repayments under revolving credit facility	0	(128,400,000)
Deferred payments for acquisitions	7,544,000	0
Payments for employee taxes withheld from stock awards	(1,960,000)	(716,000)
Issuance of common stock	4,000	0
Payment of dividends	0	(68,886,000)
Changes in other financing activities	(352,000)	0
Net cash used for financing activities	(37,471,000)	(72,898,000)
Effect of currency exchange rate change on cash	439,000	0
Increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	35,269,000	(21,001,000)
Balance of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period	188,664,000	52,770,000
Balance of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period	223,933,000	31,769,000
Supplemental cash flow information:
Cash paid for taxes, net of refunds	(4,510,000)	1,046,000
Cash paid for interest	176,402,000	22,902,000
Non-cash investing and financing activities:
Accrued capital expenditures	$ 758,000	$ 105,000

Basis of presentation and summa

Basis of presentation and summary of significant accounting policies	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of presentation and summary of significant accounting policies	NOTE 1 — Basis of presentation and summary of significant accounting policies Description of business: Gannett Co., Inc. ("Gannett", "we", "us", "our", or the "Company") is an innovative, digitally focused media and marketing solutions company committed to fostering the communities in our network and helping them build relationships with their local businesses. On November 19, 2019, New Media Investment Group Inc. ("Legacy New Media") completed its acquisition of Gannett Co., Inc. (which was renamed Gannett Media Corp. and is referred herein as "Legacy Gannett"), which retained the name Gannett Co., Inc. and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "GCI". Our current portfolio of media assets includes USA TODAY, local media organizations in 46 states in the U.S. and Guam, and Newsquest (a wholly owned subsidiary operating in the United Kingdom (the "U.K.") with more than 140 local media brands). Gannett also owns the digital marketing services companies ReachLocal, Inc. ("ReachLocal"), UpCurve, Inc. ("UpCurve"), and WordStream, Inc. ("WordStream") and runs the largest media-owned events business in the U.S., GateHouse Live. Through USA TODAY, our local property network, and Newsquest, Gannett delivers high-quality, trusted content where and when consumers want to engage on virtually any device or platform. Additionally, the Company has strong relationships with hundreds of thousands of local and national businesses in both our U.S. and U.K. markets due to our large local and national sales forces and a robust advertising and marketing solutions product suite. The Company reports in two segments: Publishing and Marketing Solutions . A full description of our segments is included in Note 14 — Segment reporting of the notes to the consolidated financial statements. COVID-19 Pandemic: The newspaper industry and the Company have experienced declining same-store revenue and profitability over the past several years, and these industry trends are expected to continue in the future. Additionally, during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 , the Company experienced additional revenue and profitability declines in connection with the COVID-19 global pandemic. More specifically, during March 2020, the Company began to experience decreased demand for its advertising and digital marketing services, commercial print and distribution services, as well as reductions in the single copy and commercial distribution of its newspapers. At this point, the Company’s newspaper production operations have not been significantly impacted and the vast majority of the Company’s non-production employees are currently working remotely. However, the COVID-19 global pandemic had a significant negative impact on the Company’s business and results of operations during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 , and we expect it to continue to have an impact in future periods. Longer-term, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company’s business and results of operations will depend on the severity and length of the pandemic, the duration and extent of the mitigation measures and governmental actions designed to combat the pandemic, as well as the changes in customer behavior as a result of the pandemic, all of which are highly uncertain. As a result, the Company has implemented, and continues to implement, measures to reduce costs and preserve cash flow. These measures include suspension of the quarterly dividend, employee furloughs and decreases in employee compensation through the third quarter, as well as reductions in discretionary spending. In addition, the Company has deferred certain payroll tax remittance as permitted under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act ("CARES Act") and negotiated the deferral of pension contributions, as well as continuing with its previously disclosed plan to monetize non-core assets. The Company believes these initiatives, along with cash on hand and cash provided by operating activities, will provide sufficient cash flow to enable the Company to meet its commitments. However, these measures are not expected to fully offset the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company's business and results of operations. Basis of presentation: Our condensed consolidated financial statements are unaudited; however, in the opinion of management, they contain all of the adjustments (consisting of those of a normal, recurring nature) considered necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows for the periods presented in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP") applicable to interim periods. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The Company consolidates entities that it controls due to ownership of a majority voting interest. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 . Use of estimates: The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused increased uncertainty in estimates and assumptions affecting the reported amounts of assets and liabilities as of the date of the condensed consolidated financial statements. Examples of significant estimates include pension and postretirement benefit obligation assumptions, income taxes, leases, self-insurance liabilities, impairment analysis, stock-based compensation, business combinations and valuation of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Fiscal period: Starting in 2019 and subsequent to our acquisition of Legacy Gannett, our fiscal period end coincides with the Gregorian calendar. In periods prior to the acquisition, our fiscal periods ended on the last Sunday of the calendar month. Our fiscal period end for the third quarter of 2019 was September 29, 2019 . Advertising and marketing services revenues: Pursuant to our acquisition of Legacy Gannett, we realigned the presentation of marketing services revenues generated by our UpCurve subsidiary from other revenues to advertising and marketing services revenue on the Condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss) . As a result of this updated presentation, Advertising and marketing services revenues increased and Other revenues decreased $16.6 million and $51.4 million for the three and nine months ended September 29, 2019 , respectively. Operating revenues, Net income (loss), Retained earnings, and Earnings per share remained unchanged. Segment presentation: In connection with our Legacy Gannett acquisition and as noted above, we reorganized our reportable segments to include (1) Publishing , which consists of our portfolio of regional, national, and international newspaper publishers and (2) Marketing Solutions , which is comprised of our marketing solutions subsidiaries ReachLocal, UpCurve and WordStream. In addition to these operating segments, we have a Corporate and other category that includes activities not directly attributable to a specific segment. This category primarily consists of broad corporate functions and includes legal, human resources, accounting, analytics, finance, and marketing as well as activities and costs not directly attributable to a particular segment and other general business costs. Cash and cash equivalents, including restricted cash: Cash equivalents represent highly liquid certificates of deposit which have original maturities of three months or less. Restricted cash is held as cash collateral for certain business operations. Restricted cash primarily consists of funding for letters of credit and cash held in an irrevocable grantor trust for our deferred compensation plans. The restrictions will lapse when benefits are paid to plan participants and their beneficiaries as specified in the plans. The following table presents a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash: In thousands September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 Cash and cash equivalents $ 188,960 $ 28,641 Restricted cash included in other current assets 10,796 3,128 Restricted cash included in investments and other assets 24,177 — Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash $ 223,933 $ 31,769 New accounting pronouncements adopted: The following are new accounting pronouncements that we adopted in the first nine months of 2020 : Financial Instruments—Credit Losses: In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued new guidance which amends the principles around the recognition of credit losses by mandating entities incorporate an estimate of current expected credit losses when determining the value of certain assets. The guidance also amends reporting around allowances for credit losses on available-for-sale marketable securities. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. Adopting this guidance did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements, refer to Note 4 — Accounts receivable, net for further details. Intangibles—Internal Use Software : In August 2018, the FASB issued new guidance which aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software and hosting arrangements that include an internal-use software license. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in any interim period. The guidance can be applied either retrospectively or prospectively to all implementation costs incurred after the date of adoption. This guidance was adopted prospectively and did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. Capitalized costs are recognized within prepaid expenses and other current assets or other assets within the consolidated balance sheet. Fair Value Measurement—Disclosure Framework: In August 2018, the FASB issued new guidance that changes disclosure requirements related to fair value measurements as part of the disclosure framework project. The disclosure framework project aims to improve the effectiveness of disclosures in the notes to the financial statements by focusing on requirements that clearly communicate the most important information to users of the financial statements. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. Adopting this guidance did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. New accounting pronouncements not yet adopted: The following are new accounting pronouncements that we are evaluating for future impacts on our financial statements: Compensation—Retirement Plans: In August 2018, the FASB issued new guidance that changes disclosures related to defined benefit pension and other postretirement benefit plans as part of the disclosure framework project. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, with early adoption permitted. We are evaluating the provisions of the updated guidance and assessing the impact on our consolidated financial statements. Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes: In December 2019, the FASB issued new guidance that simplifies the accounting for income taxes. The guidance amends the rules for recognizing deferred taxes for investments, performing intraperiod tax allocations and calculating income taxes in interim periods. It also reduces complexity in certain areas, including accounting for transactions that result in a step-up in the tax basis of goodwill and allocating taxes to members of a consolidated group. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, with early adoption permitted. We are evaluating the provisions of the updated guidance and assessing the impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Revenues

Revenues	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Revenues	NOTE 2 — Revenues Revenue Recognition Revenues are recognized when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. Revenues recognized as performance obligations are satisfied either at a point in time, such as when an advertisement is published, or over time, such as customer subscriptions. The Company’s Condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss) presents revenues disaggregated by revenue type. Sales taxes and other usage-based taxes are excluded from revenues. The following table presents our revenues disaggregated by source: Three months ended Nine months ended In thousands September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 Print advertising $ 208,047 $ 139,243 $ 664,047 $ 448,348 Digital advertising and marketing services 197,180 44,835 585,109 133,972 Total advertising and marketing services 405,227 184,078 1,249,156 582,320 Circulation 336,158 146,254 1,053,528 449,269 Other 73,154 46,317 227,539 137,047 Total revenues $ 814,539 $ 376,649 $ 2,530,223 $ 1,168,636 For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, approximately 7% of our revenues were generated from international locations. Deferred revenues: The Company records deferred revenues when cash payments are received in advance of the Company’s performance obligation. The most significant unsatisfied performance obligation is the delivery of publications to subscription customers. The Company expects to recognize the revenue related to unsatisfied performance obligations over the next three to twelve months in accordance with the terms of the subscriptions. The Company's payment terms vary by the type and location of the customer and the products or services offered. The period between invoicing and when payment is due is not significant. For certain products or services and customer types, the Company requires payment before the products or services are delivered to the customer. The following table presents changes in the deferred revenues balance for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 by type of revenues: In thousands Advertising, Marketing Services, and Other Circulation Total Beginning balance $ 67,543 $ 151,280 $ 218,823 Cash receipts 215,050 878,856 1,093,906 Revenue recognized (221,052 ) (884,080 ) (1,105,132 ) Ending balance $ 61,541 $ 146,056 $ 207,597 The Company’s primary source of deferred revenues is from circulation subscriptions paid in advance of the service provided. The majority of our subscription customers are billed and pay on monthly terms, but subscription periods can last between one and twelve months

Leases

Leases	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Leases [Abstract]
Leases	NOTE 3 — Leases We lease certain real estate, vehicles, and equipment. Our leases have remaining lease terms of 1 to 15 years , some of which may include options to extend the leases, and some of which may include options to terminate the leases. The exercise of lease renewal options is at our sole discretion. The depreciable lives of assets and leasehold improvements are limited by the expected lease term unless there is a transfer of title or purchase option reasonably certain of exercise. As of September 30, 2020 , our Condensed consolidated balance sheets include $295.8 million of operating lease right-to-use assets, $43.5 million of short-term operating lease liabilities included in Other current liabilities, and $280.6 million of long-term operating lease liabilities. The components of lease expense were as follows: Three months ended Nine months ended In thousands September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 Operating lease cost (a) $ 23,821 $ 7,841 $ 72,142 $ 23,810 Short-term lease cost (b) 828 1,124 5,315 2,756 Net lease cost $ 24,649 $ 8,965 $ 77,457 $ 26,566 (a) Includes variable lease costs of $2.9 million and $4.8 million , respectively, and sublease income of $0.9 million and $0.6 million , respectively, for the three months ended September 30, 2020 and September 29, 2019 and variable lease costs of $9.7 million and $5.6 million , respectively, and sublease income of $2.9 million and $1.7 million , respectively, for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and September 29, 2019 . (b) Excluding expenses relating to leases with a lease term of one month or less. Future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable leases as of September 30, 2020 are as follows: In thousands Year ended December 31, (a) 2020 (excluding the nine months ended September 30, 2020) $ 15,968 2021 82,679 2022 74,650 2023 62,115 2024 55,419 Thereafter 246,439 Total future minimum lease payments 537,270 Less: Imputed interest (213,143 ) Total $ 324,127 (a) Operating lease payments exclude $12.7 million of legally binding minimum lease payments for leases signed but not yet commenced. Other information related to leases were as follows: Nine months ended In thousands, except lease term and discount rate September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 Supplemental information Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of operating lease liabilities $ 61,508 $ 18,899 Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for operating lease obligations 25,562 18,642 As of September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 Weighted-average remaining lease term (in years) 7.7 8.6 Weighted-average discount rate 12.66 % 10.54 %

Accounts receivable, net

Accounts receivable, net	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Receivables [Abstract]
Accounts receivable, net	NOTE 4 — Accounts receivable, net The Company performs its evaluation of the collectability of trade receivables based on customer category. For example, trade receivables from individual subscribers to our publications are evaluated separately from trade receivables related to advertising customers. For advertising trade receivables, the Company applies a "black motor formula" methodology as the baseline to calculate the allowance for doubtful accounts. The reserve percentage is calculated as a ratio of total net bad debts (less write-offs and recoveries) for the prior three -year period to total outstanding trade accounts receivable for the same three -year period. The calculated reserve percentage by customer category is applied to the consolidated gross advertising receivable balance, irrespective of aging. In addition, each category has specific reserves for at risk accounts that vary based on the nature of the underlying trade receivables. Due to the short-term nature of our circulation receivables, the Company reserves all receivables aged over 90 days . The following table presents changes in the allowance for doubtful accounts for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 : In thousands Beginning balance $ 19,923 Current period provision 23,075 Write-offs charged against the allowance (21,139 ) Recoveries of amounts previously written-off 2,230 Disposition (351 ) Foreign currency 11 Ending balance $ 23,749 Each category considers current economic, industry and customer specific conditions relative to their respective operating environments in the incremental allowances recorded related to high-risk accounts, bankruptcies, receivables in repayment plan and other aging specific reserves. As a result of this analysis, the Company adjusts specific reserves and the amount of allowable credit as appropriate. The collectability of trade receivables related to advertising, marketing services and other customers depends on a variety of factors, including trends in the local and general economic conditions that affect our customers' ability to pay. The advertisers in our newspapers and other publications and related websites are primarily retail businesses that can be significantly affected by regional or national economic downturns and other developments that may impact our ability to collect on the related receivables. Similarly, while circulation revenues related to individual subscribers are primarily prepaid, changes in economic conditions may also affect our ability to collect on amounts owed from single copy circulation customers. As of September 30, 2020 , the Company estimated future credit losses for trade receivables of $4.5 million due to the potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This reserve is based on the analysis of higher risk accounts, which include receivables with significant changes in payment timing and aged balances. While the Company continues to collect on the majority of its trade receivables, the amounts and timing have been impacted as a result of the pandemic. The Company will continue to monitor the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the related impact on its receivables. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 , the Company recorded $5.7 million and $23.1 million in bad debt expense, included in Selling, general and administrative expenses on the Condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss) . For the three and nine months ended September 29, 2019 , the Company recorded $1.5 million and $5.5 million in bad debt expense included in Selling, general and administrative expenses on the Condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss) . We did not record any one-time adjustments as a result of adopting the new guidance on credit losses.

Acquisitions

Acquisitions	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Acquisitions	NOTE 5 — Acquisitions 2019 Acquisitions The Company acquired substantially all the assets, properties, and business of Legacy Gannett on November 19, 2019 . The acquisition, which included the USA TODAY NETWORK (made up of USA TODAY and 109 local media organizations in 34 states in the U.S. and Guam, including digital sites and affiliates), ReachLocal, a marketing solutions company, and Newsquest (a wholly owned subsidiary of Legacy Gannett operating in the U.K. with more than 140 local media brands), was completed for an aggregate purchase price of $1.3 billion . The acquisition was financed from the Apollo Term Loan, as described in Note 8 — Debt , and the issuance of common stock to Legacy Gannett stockholders. The rationale for the acquisition was primarily the attractive nature of the various publications, businesses, and digital platforms as well as the estimated cash flows and cost-saving and revenue-generating opportunities. The fair values of the assets and liabilities for the Legacy Gannett acquisition were finalized during the second quarter of 2020. Outside of the Legacy Gannett acquisition, the Company also acquired substantially all the assets, properties and business of certain publications and businesses in 2019 (the "2019 Acquisitions"), which included 11 daily newspapers, 11 weekly publications, nine shoppers, a remnant advertising agency, five events production businesses, and a business community and networking platform for an aggregate purchase price of $53.4 million , including working capital. As part of one of the 2019 Acquisitions, the Company also acquired a 58% equity interest in the acquiree, and the minority equity owners retained a 42% interest, which has been classified as a redeemable non-controlling interest on the Condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss). Additionally, for specified 2019 Acquisitions, additional consideration is earned based on the achievement of EBITDA targets outlined in the asset purchase agreement. As of September 30, 2020 , there is no consideration payable to the former stockholders. The 2019 Acquisitions were financed from cash on hand. The rationale for the 2019 Acquisitions was primarily the attractive nature, as applicable, of the various publications, businesses, and digital platforms as well as the estimated cash flows and cost-saving and revenue-generating opportunities available. The fair values of the assets and liabilities for the 2019 Acquisitions were finalized during the second quarter of 2020. Pro forma information: The following table sets forth unaudited pro forma results of operations assuming the Legacy Gannett acquisition, along with transactions necessary to finance the acquisition, occurred at the beginning of 2019: Three months ended Nine months ended In thousands; unaudited September 29, 2019 September 29, 2019 Total revenues $ 1,010,508 $ 3,124,186 Net income (loss) (58,857 ) (110,938 ) Earnings (loss) per share - diluted $ (0.48 ) $ (0.90 )

Goodwill & Intangible Assets

Goodwill & Intangible Assets	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Goodwill & Intangible Assets	NOTE 6 — Goodwill & Intangible Assets Goodwill and intangible assets consisted of the following: September 30, 2020 In thousands Gross carrying amount Accumulated amortization Net carrying amount Amortized intangible assets (a) : Advertiser relationships $ 496,062 $ 111,782 $ 384,280 Other customer relationships 112,704 24,561 88,143 Subscriber relationships 265,218 67,469 197,749 Other intangible assets 70,317 23,141 47,176 Total $ 944,301 $ 226,953 $ 717,348 Non-amortized intangible assets: Goodwill $ 560,215 Mastheads (a) 176,373 Total $ 736,588 December 31, 2019 Gross carrying amount Accumulated Net carrying amount Amortized intangible assets: Advertiser relationships $ 534,161 $ 75,363 $ 458,798 Other customer relationships 109,674 14,303 95,371 Subscriber relationships 259,391 44,878 214,513 Other intangible assets 76,552 11,229 65,323 Total $ 979,778 $ 145,773 $ 834,005 Non-amortized intangible assets: Goodwill $ 914,331 Mastheads $ 178,559 Total $ 1,092,890 (a) Includes measurement period adjustments for the Legacy Gannett and other 2019 acquisitions. The balances and changes in the carrying amount of goodwill by segment are as follows: In thousands Publishing (a) Marketing Solutions Consolidated Gross balance at December 31, 2019 $ 800,606 $ 201,646 $ 1,002,252 Accumulated impairments (84,272 ) (3,649 ) (87,921 ) Net balance at December 31, 2019 $ 716,334 $ 197,997 $ 914,331 Activity during the nine months ended September 30, 2020: Goodwill impairment $ (321,851 ) $ (40,499 ) $ (362,350 ) Measurement period adjustments 70,558 (58,788 ) 11,770 Foreign currency exchange rate changes (3,536 ) — (3,536 ) Total $ (254,829 ) $ (99,287 ) $ (354,116 ) Gross balance at September 30, 2020 $ 869,439 $ 142,858 $ 1,012,297 Accumulated impairments (407,934 ) (44,148 ) (452,082 ) Net balance at September 30, 2020 $ 461,505 $ 98,710 $ 560,215 (a) The Publishing segment includes the Domestic Publishing and Newsquest reporting units. Consistent with the Company’s past practice, the Company performed its annual goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible (masthead) impairment assessment in the second quarter of 2020 with the assistance of third-party valuation specialists. Within the impairment analyses performed, the Company considered the current and expected future economic and market conditions and the impact on the fair value of each of the reporting units. The primary factor that impacted the decrease in fair value was the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company’s operations. The most significant assumptions utilized in the determination of the estimated fair values include revenue and EBITDA projections, discount rates and long-term growth rates. The long-term growth rates are dependent on overall market growth rates, the competitive environment, inflation and relative currency exchange rates and could be adversely impacted by a sustained decrease in any of these measures, all of which the Company considered in determining the long-term growth rates used in the analysis, which ranged from negative 0.5% to 3% . The discount rate, which is consistent with a weighted average cost of capital that is likely to be expected by a market participant, is based upon industry required rates of return, including consideration of both debt and equity components of the capital structure. The discount rate may be impacted by adverse changes in the macroeconomic environment and volatility in the equity and debt markets. The Company considered these factors in determining the discount rates used in the analysis, which ranged from 10.0% to 15.5% . For mastheads, the Company applied a “relief from royalty” approach, a discounted cash flow model, reflecting current assumptions, to fair value the indefinite-lived intangible assets. We compared the fair value of each indefinite-lived asset to its carrying amount, and accordingly, the Company recorded impairments of $4.0 million in both our Domestic Publishing and Newsquest reporting units during the second quarter of 2020. During the second quarter of 2020 , the Company considered the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company’s operations to be an indicator of impairment under ASC 360. As such, during the second quarter the Company performed a recoverability test for the long-lived asset groups, reflecting current assumptions, to determine whether an impairment loss should be measured. The undiscounted cash flows used in the recoverability test for the Newsquest long-lived asset group were less than the long-lived asset group carrying amount. The Company calculated the fair value of the long-lived asset group and recorded a $23.0 million impairment to advertiser and other customer relationships intangible assets during the second quarter of 2020. The discount rate and long-term growth rate assumptions were consistent with the Goodwill assumptions discussed above. Refer Note 7 — Integration and reorganization costs and impairments of property, plant and equipment , for further details on the impairment of property, plant and equipment. For goodwill, the Company primarily utilized a discounted cash flow method to calculate the fair value of each reporting unit. Market-based metrics were reviewed to evaluate the reasonableness of the Company’s calculation. The Company compared the fair value of each reporting unit to its carrying amount, which resulted in the carrying value of all the reporting groups being in excess of the fair value. As a result, during the second quarter of 2020 , we recorded goodwill impairment charges of $256.5 million , $65.4 million and $40.5 million in our Domestic Publishing, Newsquest and Marketing Solutions reporting units, respectively. The severity and length of the COVID-19 pandemic, the duration and extent of the mitigation measures and governmental actions designed to combat the pandemic, as well as the changes in customer behavior as a result of the pandemic, all of which are highly uncertain and difficult to predict at the current time, could negatively impact the Company’s future assessment of its results of operations and the underlying assumptions utilized in the determination of the estimated fair values of the reporting units and related mastheads. The newspaper industry and the Company have experienced declining same-store revenue and profitability over the past several years. Should general economic, market or business conditions continue to decline and have a negative impact on estimates of future cash flow and market transaction multiples, the Company may be required to record additional impairment charges in the future. As of September 30, 2020 , the Company performed a review of potential impairment indicators noting that its financial results and forecast have not changed materially since the annual impairment assessment, and it was determined that no indicators of impairment were present.

Integration and reorganization

Integration and reorganization costs and impairments of property, plant and equipment	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]
Integration and reorganization costs and impairments of property, plant and equipment	NOTE 7 — Integration and reorganization costs and impairments of property, plant and equipment Over the past several years, the Company has engaged in a series of individual restructuring programs, designed primarily to right-size the Company’s employee base, consolidate facilities and improve operations, including those of recently acquired entities. These initiatives impact all the Company’s operations and can be influenced by the terms of union contracts. Costs related to these programs, which primarily include severance expense, are accrued when probable and reasonably estimable or at the time of program announcement. Severance-related expenses: We recorded severance-related expenses by segment as follows: Three months ended Nine months ended In thousands September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 Publishing $ 3,983 $ 1,489 $ 35,401 $ 6,145 Marketing Solutions 1,196 431 5,333 1,167 Corporate and Other 2,103 8 14,069 909 Total $ 7,282 $ 1,928 $ 54,803 $ 8,221 A rollforward of the accrued severance and related costs included in Accounts payable and accrued expenses on the Condensed consolidated balance sheets for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 are as follows: In thousands Beginning balance $ 30,785 Restructuring provision included in integration and reorganization costs 54,803 Cash payments (71,962 ) Ending balance $ 13,626 The restructuring reserve balance is expected to be paid out over the next twelve months. Facility consolidation and other restructuring-related expenses: We recorded facility consolidation charges and other restructuring-related costs by segment as follows: Three months ended Nine months ended In thousands September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 Publishing $ 1,137 $ 1,119 $ 3,648 $ 2,922 Marketing Solutions 41 70 254 70 Corporate and Other 4,957 19 15,273 2,000 Total $ 6,135 $ 1,208 $ 19,175 $ 4,992 Asset impairments and accelerated depreciation: As part of ongoing cost efficiency programs, the Company has ceased a number of print operations. There were $1.6 million of asset impairment charges recorded for the three months ended September 30, 2020 by the Publishing and Marketing Solutions segments as a result of these programs compared to no asset impairment charges recorded for the three months ended September 29, 2019 . For the nine months ended September 30, 2020 , there were $8.4 million asset impairment charges recorded by the Publishing and Marketing Solutions segments. There were $2.5 million asset impairment charges recorded for the nine months ended September 29, 2019 by the Publishing segment. The Company incurred accelerated depreciation of $9.3 million and $2.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020 and September 29, 2019 , respectively. For the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and September 29, 2019 , the Company incurred accelerated depreciation of $45.0 million and $4.8 million , respectively. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and the three and nine months ended September 29, 2019 , accelerated depreciation expenses were related to the Publishing segment and are included within Depreciation and amortization expense on the Condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss)

Debt

Debt	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Debt	NOTE 8 — Debt Apollo Term Loan In November 2019 , pursuant to the acquisition of Legacy Gannett, the Company entered into a five -year, senior-secured term loan facility with Apollo Capital Management, L.P. ("Apollo") in an aggregate principal amount of approximately $1.8 billion (the "Apollo Term Loan"). The Apollo Term Loan which matures on November 19, 2024 , generally bears interest at the rate of 11.5% per annum. Origination fees totaled 6.5% of the total principal amount of the financing at closing. Pursuant to the agreement, Apollo has the right to designate two individuals to attend Board of Directors meetings as non-fiduciary and non-voting observers and participants. In addition, if the total gross leverage ratio exceeds certain thresholds, Apollo has the right to appoint up to two voting directors. As of September 30, 2020, the total gross leverage ratio exceeded certain thresholds, whereby Apollo has the right to appoint one voting director. Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default (as defined in the Apollo Term Loan), the interest rate increases by 2.0% . The Apollo Term Loan contains customary covenants and events of default, including a covenant that the Company have at least $20 million of unrestricted cash on the last day of each fiscal quarter. The Apollo Term Loan is required to be prepaid with (i) any unrestricted cash in excess of $40 million at the end of fiscal year 2020 and fiscal year 2021, (ii) 50% of excess cash flow (as such term is defined in the Apollo Term Loan) measured at the end of each fiscal quarter (beginning with the third quarter of 2020), subject to a step-up to 90% of excess cash flow for each period in fiscal year 2021 or later if the ratio of consolidated debt to EBITDA (as such terms are defined in the Apollo Term Loan) is greater than or equal to 1.00 to 1.00, and (iii) 100% of the net proceeds of any non-ordinary course asset sales. The Apollo Term Loan prohibits the payment of cash dividends prior to the thirtieth day of the second quarter of 2020, and thereafter permits payment of cash dividends up to an agreed-upon amount, provided that the ratio of consolidated debt to EBITDA (as such terms are defined therein) does not exceed a specified threshold. As of September 30, 2020 , the Company is in compliance with all of the covenants and obligations under the Apollo Term Loan. In connection with the Apollo Term Loan, the Company incurred approximately $4.9 million of fees and expenses and $116.6 million of lender fees which were capitalized and will be amortized over the term of the Apollo Term Loan using the effective interest method. The Company used the proceeds of the Apollo Term Loan to (i) partially fund the acquisition of Legacy Gannett, (ii) repay, prepay, repurchase, redeem, or otherwise discharge in full each of the existing financing facilities (as defined in the agreement and discussed in part below), and (iii) pay fees and expenses incurred to obtain the Apollo Term Loan. The Company is permitted to prepay the principal of the Apollo Term Loan, in whole or in part, at par plus accrued and unpaid interest, without any prepayment premium or penalty. The Apollo Term Loan is guaranteed by the material wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Company, and all obligations of the Company and its subsidiary guarantors are or will be secured by first priority liens on certain material real property, equity interests, land, buildings, and fixtures. The Apollo Term Loan contains customary representations and warranties, affirmative covenants, and negative covenants applicable to the Company and its subsidiaries, including, among other things, restrictions on indebtedness, liens, investments, fundamental changes, dispositions, dividends and other distributions, capital expenditures, and events of default. As of September 30, 2020 , the Company had $1.729 billion in aggregate principal outstanding under the Apollo Term Loan, $4.1 million of deferred financing costs, and $93.3 million of capitalized lender fees. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 , the Company recorded $51.0 million and $152.4 million in interest expense, respectively, $5.9 million and $17.7 million in amortization of deferred financing costs, respectively, and $0.5 million and $1.7 million for loss on early extinguishment of debt, respectively. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 , the Company paid interest of $51.0 million and $176.0 million , respectively. The effective interest rate is 12.9% . As of September 30, 2020 , the Company reclassified $15.2 million of the Apollo Term Loan to the Current portion of long-term debt on the Condensed consolidated balance sheets , which represents 50% of the Company's excess cash flow (as such term is defined in the Apollo Term Loan) measured at the end of the third quarter of 2020. Convertible debt On April 9, 2018 , Legacy Gannett completed an offering of 4.75% convertible senior notes, resulting in total aggregate principal of $201.3 million and net proceeds of approximately $195.3 million . Interest on the notes is payable semi-annually in arrears. The notes mature on April 15, 2024 with our earliest redemption date being April 15, 2022 . The stated conversion rate of the notes is 82.4572 shares per $1,000 in principal or approximately $12.13 per share. The Company's acquisition of Legacy Gannett constituted a Fundamental Change and Make-Whole Fundamental Change under the terms of the indenture governing the notes. At the acquisition date, the Company delivered to noteholders a notice offering the right to surrender all or a portion of their notes for cash on December 31, 2019 . On December 31, 2019 , we completed the redemption of $198.0 million in aggregate principal in exchange for cash. The $3.3 million principal value of the remaining notes outstanding is reported as convertible debt in the Condensed consolidated balance sheets . The effective interest rate on the notes was 6.05% as of September 30, 2020

Pensions and other postretireme

Pensions and other postretirement benefit plans	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]
Pensions and other postretirement benefit plans	NOTE 9 — Pensions and other postretirement benefit plans We, along with our subsidiaries, have various defined benefit retirement plans, including plans established under collective bargaining agreements. Our retirement plans include the Gannett Retirement Plan ("GRP"), Newsquest and Romanes Pension Schemes in the U.K. ("U.K. Pension Plans"), and other defined benefit and defined contribution plans. We also provide health care and life insurance benefits to certain retired employees who meet age and service requirements. Retirement plan costs include the following components: Three months ended September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 In thousands Pension OPEB Pension OPEB Operating expenses: Service cost - Benefits earned during the period $ 693 $ 27 $ 159 $ — Non-operating expenses (Other income): Interest cost on benefit obligation 20,670 580 737 22 Expected return on plan assets (39,573 ) — (937 ) — Amortization of actuarial loss (gain) (26 ) 15 (39 ) 9 Total non-operating expenses (benefit) $ (18,929 ) $ 595 $ (239 ) $ 31 Total expense (benefit) for retirement plans $ (18,236 ) $ 622 $ (80 ) $ 31 Nine months ended September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 In thousands Pension OPEB Pension OPEB Operating expenses: Service cost - Benefits earned during the period $ 2,078 $ 79 $ 476 $ — Non-operating expenses (Other income): Interest cost on benefit obligation 61,803 1,740 2,210 67 Expected return on plan assets (117,940 ) — (2,812 ) — Amortization of actuarial loss (gain) (80 ) 44 (117 ) 27 Total non-operating expenses (benefit) $ (56,217 ) $ 1,784 $ (719 ) $ 94 Total expense (benefit) for retirement plans $ (54,139 ) $ 1,863 $ (243 ) $ 94 During the nine months ended September 30, 2020 , we contributed $19.6 million and $5.7 million to our pension and other postretirement plans, respectively. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic our GRP in the U.S. has deferred certain contractual contributions and negotiated a contribution payment plan of $5 million per quarter starting December 31, 2020 through the end of the September 30, 2022. Additionally, $11 million in minimum required contributions for the 2019 plan year, as required by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 ("ERISA"), have been deferred until January 1, 2021.

Income taxes

Income taxes	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income taxes	NOTE 10 — Income taxes The following table outlines our pre-tax net income (loss) and income tax amounts: Three months ended Nine months ended In thousands September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 Pre-tax net income (loss) $ (28,350 ) $ (11,742 ) $ (572,085 ) $ (20,779 ) Income tax expense (benefit) 3,098 7,226 (22,200 ) 4,929 Effective tax rate *** *** 3.9 % *** *** Indicates a percentage that is not meaningful. For the three months ended September 30, 2020 and September 29, 2019 our effective income tax rate on Pre-tax net loss was not meaningful. For the nine months ended September 30, 2020 , our effective income tax rate on Pre-tax net loss was 3.9% and was not meaningful for the nine months ended September 29, 2019 . The provision for income taxes for the three months ended September 30, 2020 was mainly impacted by a reduction in the year to date tax benefit as a result of a lower projected annualized effective tax rate. The provision for income taxes for the three months ended September 30, 2020 was calculated using the estimated annual effective tax rate of 6.2% . The estimated annual effective tax rate is based on a projected tax benefit for the full year. The tax benefit for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 is lower than the 21 % statutory Federal rate due to the impact of non-deductible asset impairments, non-deductible officers’ compensation and the creation of valuation allowances on non-deductible interest expense carryforwards and capital losses. The CARES Act was enacted on March 27, 2020. The Company will realize a tax benefit attributable to the legislation which permits a refund of tax benefits from earlier years. The legislation also allows the Company to defer certain employer payroll tax payments in 2020 to the end of 2021 and 2022. In addition, the Company is pursuing Employee Retention Tax Credits as provided under the CARES Act. The Company continually monitors guidance from the U.S. Department of the Treasury (the "Treasury") and the Internal Revenue Service to determine whether additional tax benefits are available from this legislation and similar stimulus efforts. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (“TCJA”) revised business interest expense limitations under I.R.C. Section 163(j) such that business interest deductions are not allowed in amounts exceeding prescribed percentages of EBITDA for tax years beginning before January 1, 2022. For tax years beginning after January 1, 2022, deductible interest cannot exceed prescribed percentages of EBIT. Unused business interest deductions are carried forward and recorded as deferred tax assets. The Company has evaluated the potential utilization of such carryforward deferred tax assets and determined full valuation allowances are appropriate as future utilization is uncertain. The total amount of unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, may impact the effective tax rate was approximately $32.9 million as of September 30, 2020 and $32.4 million as of December 31, 2019 . The amount of accrued interest and penalties payable related to unrecognized tax benefits was $2.5 million as of September 30, 2020 and $1.9 million as of December 31, 2019 .

Supplemental equity information

Supplemental equity information	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Equity [Abstract]
Supplemental equity information	NOTE 11 — Supplemental equity information Loss per share The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted loss per share: Three months ended Nine months ended In thousands September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 Net loss attributable to Gannett $ (31,260 ) $ (18,463 ) $ (548,305 ) $ (24,754 ) Basic weighted average shares outstanding 132,223 60,034 131,425 60,010 Diluted weighted average shares outstanding 132,223 60,034 131,425 60,010 The Company excluded the following securities from the computation of diluted income per share because their effect would have been antidilutive: Three months ended Nine months ended In thousands September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 Stock warrants 1,362 1,362 1,362 1,362 Stock options 6,068 2,905 6,068 2,905 Restricted stock awards 7,130 446 7,130 446 Share repurchase program On May 17, 2017, the Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $100.0 million of the Company's common stock, par value $0.01 per share ("Common Stock") over the next twelve months ("Share Repurchase Program"). The Board of Directors had authorized extensions of the Share Repurchase Program through May 19, 2020. The plan expired on May 19, 2020 with no extension or replacement plan in place. No shares were repurchased under the program during 2020. Manager stock options Pursuant to the anti-dilution provisions of the Incentive Plan, the exercise price on the 652,311 remaining options granted to the Company's manager, FIG LLC (the "Manager") in 2014 were equitably adjusted during the nine months ended September 29, 2019 from $12.95 to $11.46 as a result of return of capital distributions. Also, these options were equitably adjusted during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 from $11.46 to $9.94 as a result of return of capital distributions. Pursuant to the anti-dilution provisions of the Incentive Plan, the exercise price on the 700,000 options granted to the Manager in 2015 were equitably adjusted during the nine months ended September 29, 2019 from $18.94 to $17.45 as a result of return of capital distributions. Also, these options were equitably adjusted during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 from $17.45 to $15.93 as a result of return of capital distributions. Pursuant to the anti-dilution provisions of the Incentive Plan, the exercise price on the 862,500 options granted to the Manager in 2016 were equitably adjusted during the nine months ended September 29, 2019 from $13.24 to $11.75 as a result of return of capital distributions. Also, these options were equitably adjusted during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 from $11.75 to $10.23 as a result of return of capital distributions. Pursuant to the anti-dilution provisions of the Incentive Plan, the exercise price on the 690,000 options granted to the Manager in 2018 were equitably adjusted during the nine months ended September 29, 2019 from $16.45 to $14.96 as a result of return of capital distributions. Also, these options were equitably adjusted during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 from $14.96 to $13.44 as a result of return of capital distributions. The following table includes additional information regarding the Manager stock options: Number of Options (In thousands) Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value Weighted-Average Exercise Price Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Term (Years) Aggregate Intrinsic Value ($000) Outstanding at December 31, 2019 6,068 $ 1.78 $ 14.70 8.2 $ — Granted — $ — $ — Outstanding at September 30, 2020 6,068 $ 1.78 $ 13.97 7.4 $ — Exercisable at September 30, 2020 3,936 $ 1.78 $ 13.15 6.5 $ — Stock compensation The Company recognized compensation cost for share-based payments of $3.8 million and $22.8 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 , respectively, and $0.7 million and $2.5 million for the three and nine months ended September 29, 2019 , respectively. The total compensation cost not yet recognized related to non-vested awards as of September 30, 2020 was $20.7 million , which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.0 years through September 2022. Restricted stock awards The following table outlines restricted stock unit ("RSU") and performance stock unit ("PSU") award activity specific to Legacy Gannett for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 : Nine months ended September 30, 2020 Number RSUs & PSUs (In thousands) Weighted- Unvested at beginning of period 7,368 $ 6.28 Granted 282 0.90 Vested (4,100 ) 6.27 Forfeited (401 ) 2.61 Unvested at end of period 3,149 $ 6.28 The following table outlines restricted stock grant ("RSGs") activity for the Company for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 : Nine months ended September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 Number of RSGs (In thousands) Weighted- Average Grant Date Fair Value Number of RSGs (In thousands) Weighted- Unvested at beginning of period 317 $ 14.61 384 $ 16.11 Granted 5,277 3.89 300 13.64 Vested (1,157 ) 5.86 (167 ) 15.95 Forfeited (456 ) 3.36 (71 ) 15.26 Unvested at end of period 3,981 $ 4.24 446 $ 14.65 As of September 30, 2020 , the consolidated aggregate intrinsic value of unvested RSGs was $9.3 million . Rights Agreement On April 6, 2020, the Company's Board of Directors adopted a stockholder rights plan in the form of a Section 382 Rights Agreement ("Rights Agreement") to preserve and protect the Company's income tax net operating loss carryforwards ("NOLs") and other tax assets. As of December 31, 2019 , the Company had approximately $435 million of NOLs available which could be used in certain circumstance to offset future federal taxable income. Under the Rights Agreement, the Board declared a non-taxable dividend of one preferred share purchase right for each outstanding share of Common Stock. The rights will be exercisable only if a person or group acquires 4.99% or more of Gannett’s Common Stock. Gannett’s existing shareholders that beneficially own in excess of 4.99% of the Common Stock are "grandfathered in" at their current ownership level and the rights then become exercisable if any of those shareholders acquire an additional 0.5% or more of Common Stock of the Company. If the rights become exercisable, all holders of rights, other than the person or group triggering the rights, will be entitled to purchase Gannett Common Stock at a 50% discount or Gannett may exchange each right held by such holders for one share of Common Stock. Rights held by the person or group triggering the rights will become void and will not be exercisable. The Board of Directors has the discretion to exempt any person or group from the provisions of the Rights Agreement. The rights issued under the Rights Agreement will expire on the day following the certification of the voting results for Gannett’s 2021 annual meeting of shareholders, unless Gannett’s shareholders ratify the Rights Agreement at or prior to such meeting, in which case the Rights Agreement will continue in effect until April 5, 2023. The Board of Directors also has the ability to terminate the plan if it determines that doing so would be in the best interest of Gannett’s stockholders. The rights may also expire at an earlier date if certain events occur, as described more fully in the Rights Agreement filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Apollo Term Loan was amended on April 6, 2020, to allow for the Rights Agreement. There were no issuances of preferred stock during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 . Accumulated other comprehensive loss The following tables summarize the components of, and the changes in, Accumulated other comprehensive loss (net of tax) for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and the nine months ended September 29, 2019 : Nine months ended September 30, 2020 In thousands Retirement Plans Foreign Currency Translation Total Beginning balance $ 936 $ 7,266 $ 8,202 Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications (5,675 ) (8,908 ) (14,583 ) Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss (a) (30 ) — (30 ) Net current period other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes (5,705 ) (8,908 ) (14,613 ) Ending balance $ (4,769 ) $ (1,642 ) $ (6,411 ) (a) This accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) component is included in the computation of net periodic benefit cost. See Note 9 — Pensions and other postretirement benefit plans . Nine months ended September 29, 2019 In thousands Retirement Plans Foreign Currency Translation Total Beginning balance $ (6,881 ) $ — $ (6,881 ) Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications — — — Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss (a) (90 ) — (90 ) Net current period other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes (90 ) — (90 ) Ending balance $ (6,971 ) $ — $ (6,971 ) (a) This accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) component is included in the computation of net periodic benefit cost. See Note 9 — Pensions and other postretirement benefit plans . Accumulated other comprehensive loss components are included in computing net periodic postretirement costs as outlined in NOTE 9 — Pensions and other postretirement benefit plans . Reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive loss related to these postretirement plans include the following: Three months ended Nine months ended In thousands September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 Amortization of prior service credit, net $ — $ — $ — $ — Amortization of actuarial gain (11 ) (30 ) (36 ) (90 ) Total reclassifications, before tax (11 ) (30 ) (36 ) (90 ) Income tax expense (benefit) 1 — (6 ) — Total reclassifications, net of tax $ (12 ) $ (30 ) $ (30 ) $ (90 ) Dividends The Company did no t pay dividends during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and paid dividends of $68.9 million for the nine months ended September 29, 2019 . On April 1, 2020, the Company announced that in light of the unprecedented economic disruption and uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Board of Directors had determined that it is in the best interests of shareholders for the Company to preserve liquidity by suspending the Company's quarterly dividend.

Fair value measurement

Fair value measurement	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair value measurement	NOTE 12 — Fair value measurement We measure and record certain assets and liabilities at fair value. A fair value measurement is determined based on market assumptions that a market participant would use in pricing an asset or liability. A three-tiered hierarchy draws distinctions between market participant assumptions based on (i) observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets (Level 1), (ii) inputs other than quoted active markets that are observable either directly or indirectly (Level 2), and (iii) unobservable inputs that require use of our own estimates and assumptions through present value and other valuation techniques in determination of fair value (Level 3). As of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 , assets and liabilities recorded at fair value and measured on a recurring basis primarily consist of pension plan assets. As permitted by U.S. GAAP, we use net asset values as a practical expedient to determine the fair value of certain investments. These investments measured at net asset value have not been classified in the fair value hierarchy. The Apollo Term Loan is recorded at carrying value, which approximates fair value, in the Condensed consolidated balance sheets and is classified as Level 3. We also have certain assets requiring fair value measurement on a non-recurring basis. Our assets measured on a non-recurring basis are assets held for sale, which are classified as Level 3 assets and evaluated using executed purchase agreements, letters of intent, or third-party valuation analyses when certain circumstances arise. Assets held for sale totaled $3.2 million as of September 30, 2020 and $25.5 million as of December 31, 2019 .

Commitments, contingencies and

Commitments, contingencies and other matters	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments, contingencies and other matters	NOTE 13 — Commitments, contingencies and other matters The Company is and may become involved from time to time in legal proceedings in the ordinary course of its business, including but not limited to with respect to such matters as libel, invasion of privacy, intellectual property infringement, wrongful termination actions, complaints alleging employment discrimination, and regulatory investigations and inquiries. In addition, the Company is involved from time to time in governmental and administrative proceedings concerning employment, labor, environmental, and other claims. Insurance coverage mitigates potential loss for certain of these matters. Historically, such claims and proceedings have not had a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated results of operations or financial position. Equity purchase arrangements that are exercisable by the counterparty to the agreement and that are outside the sole control of the Company are accounted for in accordance with ASC 480-10-S99-3A and are classified as Redeemable noncontrolling interests in the Condensed consolidated balance sheets . Environmental contingency: We assumed responsibility for certain environmental contingencies in connection with our acquisition of Legacy Gannett. More specifically, in March 2011 , the Advertiser Company ("Advertiser"), a subsidiary that publishes the Montgomery Advertiser , was notified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") that it had been identified as a potentially responsible party ("PRP") for the investigation and remediation of groundwater contamination in downtown Montgomery, Alabama. The Advertiser is a member of the Downtown Environmental Alliance, which has agreed to jointly fund and conduct all required investigation and remediation. In 2016 , the Advertiser and other members of the Downtown Environmental Alliance reached a settlement with the EPA regarding the costs the EPA spent to investigate the site. The EPA has transferred responsibility for oversight of the site to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, which has approved the work plan for the additional site investigation that is currently underway. The Advertiser's final costs cannot be determined until the investigation is complete, a determination is made on whether any remediation is necessary, and contributions from other PRPs are finalized. Other litigation: We are defendants in judicial and administrative proceedings involving matters incidental to our business. Although the Company is unable to predict with certainty the eventual outcome of any litigation, regulatory investigation or inquiry, in the opinion of management, the Company does not expect its current and any threatened legal proceedings to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial position or consolidated results of operations. Given the inherent unpredictability of these types of proceedings, however, it is possible that future adverse outcomes could have a material effect on the Company’s financial results.

Segment reporting

Segment reporting	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segment reporting	NOTE 14 — Segment reporting We define our reportable segments based on the way the Chief Operating Decision Maker ("CODM"), which for the third quarter of 2020 is the Chief Executive Officer, manages the operations for purposes of allocating resources and assessing performance. Our reportable segments include the following: • Publishing is comprised of our portfolio of local, regional, national, and international newspaper publishers. The results of this segment include Advertising and marketing services revenues from local, classified, and national advertising across multiple platforms, including print, online, mobile, and tablet as well as niche publications, Circulation revenues from home delivery and single copy sales of our publications and distributing our publications on our digital platforms, and Other revenues, mainly from commercial printing, events, and distribution arrangements. The Publishing reportable segment is an aggregation of two operating segments: Domestic Publishing and the U.K. • Marketing Solutions is comprised of our digital marketing solutions subsidiary ReachLocal. The results of this segment include Advertising and marketing services revenues through multiple services, including search advertising, display advertising, search optimization, social media, website development, web presence products, customer relationship management, Google-suite offerings, and software-as-a-service solutions. Other revenues in our Marketing Solutions segment are derived from system integration services, cloud offerings, and software licensing. In addition to the above operating segments, we have a Corporate and other category that includes activities not directly attributable to a specific segment. This category primarily consists of broad corporate functions, including legal, human resources, accounting, finance and marketing as well as other general business costs. In the ordinary course of business, our reportable segments enter into transactions with one another. While intersegment transactions are treated like third-party transactions to determine segment performance, the revenues and expenses recognized by the segment that is the counterparty to the transaction are eliminated in consolidation and do not affect consolidated results. The CODM uses adjusted EBITDA to evaluate the performance of the segments and allocate resources. Adjusted EBITDA is a financial performance measure we believe offers a useful view of the overall operation of our businesses and may be different than similarly-titled measures used by other companies. We define Adjusted EBITDA as Net income (loss) attributable to Gannett before (1) Income tax expense (benefit), (2) Interest expense, (3) Gains or losses on the early extinguishment of debt, (4) Non-operating items, primarily pension costs, (5) Depreciation and amortization, (6) Integration and reorganization costs, (7) Asset impairments (8) Goodwill and intangible impairments, (9) Gains or losses on the sale or disposal of assets, (10) Equity-based compensation, (11) Acquisition costs, (12) Gains or losses on the sale of investments and (13) certain other non-recurring charges. Management considers adjusted EBITDA to be the appropriate metric to evaluate and compare the ongoing operating performance of our segments on a consistent basis across reporting periods as it eliminates the effect of items which we do not believe are indicative of each segment's core operating performance. The following tables present our segment information: Three months ended September 30, 2020 In thousands Publishing Marketing Solutions Corporate and other Intersegment Eliminations Consolidated Advertising and marketing services - external sales $ 303,646 $ 100,807 $ 774 $ — $ 405,227 Advertising and marketing services - intersegment sales 25,862 — — (25,862 ) — Circulation 336,152 — 6 — 336,158 Other 66,566 4,636 1,952 — 73,154 Total revenues $ 732,226 $ 105,443 $ 2,732 $ (25,862 ) $ 814,539 Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP basis) $ 108,752 $ 4,177 $ (24,949 ) $ — $ 87,980 Three months ended September 29, 2019 In thousands Publishing Marketing Solutions Corporate and other Intersegment Eliminations Consolidated Advertising and marketing services - external sales $ 161,237 $ 22,110 $ 731 $ — $ 184,078 Advertising and marketing services - intersegment sales 17,254 — — (17,254 ) — Circulation 146,254 — — — 146,254 Other 41,514 4,564 239 — 46,317 Total revenues $ 366,259 $ 26,674 $ 970 $ (17,254 ) $ 376,649 Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP basis) $ 58,955 $ (1,697 ) $ (12,352 ) $ — $ 44,906 Nine months ended September 30, 2020 In thousands Publishing Marketing Solutions Corporate and other Intersegment Eliminations Consolidated Advertising and marketing services - external sales $ 939,923 $ 306,899 $ 2,334 $ — $ 1,249,156 Advertising and marketing services - intersegment sales 85,472 — — (85,472 ) — Circulation 1,053,518 — 10 — 1,053,528 Other 207,355 14,388 5,796 — 227,539 Total revenues $ 2,286,268 $ 321,287 $ 8,140 $ (85,472 ) $ 2,530,223 Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP basis) $ 311,767 $ 14,847 $ (61,548 ) $ — $ 265,066 Nine months ended September 29, 2019 In thousands Publishing Marketing Solutions Corporate and other Intersegment Eliminations Consolidated Advertising and marketing services - external sales $ 513,944 $ 66,658 $ 1,718 $ — $ 582,320 Advertising and marketing services - intersegment sales 52,582 — — (52,582 ) — Circulation 449,246 — 23 — 449,269 Other 123,003 13,248 796 — 137,047 Total revenues $ 1,138,775 $ 79,906 $ 2,537 $ (52,582 ) $ 1,168,636 Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP basis) $ 155,887 $ (7,393 ) $ (23,441 ) $ — $ 125,053 The table below shows the reconciliation of Net loss attributable to Gannett to Adjusted EBITDA for the periods presented: Three months ended Nine months ended In thousands September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 Net loss attributable to Gannett $ (31,260 ) $ (18,463 ) $ (548,305 ) $ (24,754 ) Income tax expense (benefit) 3,098 7,226 (22,200 ) 4,929 Interest expense 58,063 10,030 173,890 30,376 Loss on early extinguishment of debt 476 — 1,650 — Non-operating pension income (18,334 ) (208 ) (54,433 ) (625 ) Gain on sale of investments (7,800 ) — (7,995 ) — Other non-operating income, net (2,575 ) (22 ) (6,993 ) (176 ) Depreciation and amortization 61,355 24,482 205,706 68,733 Integration and reorganization costs 13,417 3,136 73,978 13,213 Acquisition costs 1,913 12,181 10,261 15,318 Asset impairments 1,585 — 8,444 2,469 Goodwill and intangible impairments — — 393,446 — Loss on sale or disposal of assets 795 602 1,540 3,339 Equity-based compensation expense 3,844 691 22,812 2,534 Other items 3,403 5,251 13,265 9,697 Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP basis) $ 87,980 $ 44,906 $ 265,066 $ 125,053

Related party transactions

Related party transactions	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Related party transactions	NOTE 15 — Related party transactions As of September 30, 2020 , the Manager, which is an affiliate of Fortress Investment Group LLC ("Fortress"), and its affiliates owned approximately 3% of the Company’s outstanding stock and approximately 40% of the Company’s outstanding warrants. The Manager or its affiliates held 6,068,075 stock options of the Company’s stock as of September 30, 2020 . During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 , no dividends were paid to Fortress and its affiliates. During the three and nine months ended September 29, 2019 , Fortress and its affiliates were paid $0.2 million and $0.7 million in dividends, respectively. The Company's Chief Executive Officer is an employee of Fortress (or one of its affiliates), and his salary is paid by Fortress (or one of its affiliates). The management fee paid is reduced by the compensation paid to the Chief Financial Officer. Amended and Restated Management Agreement On November 26, 2013 , New Media entered into a management agreement (as amended and restated, "the Management Agreement") with the Manager, an affiliate of Fortress, pursuant to which the Manager managed the operations of New Media. New Media paid the Manager an annual management fee equal to 1.50% of the Company's Total Equity (as defined in the Management Agreement), and the Manager was eligible to receive incentive compensation. On August 5, 2019 , in connection with the execution of the Legacy Gannett acquisition agreement, the Company and the Manager entered into the Amended and Restated Management and Advisory Agreement (the “Amended Management Agreement”). Effective upon the consummation of the acquisition on November 19, 2019 , the Amended Management Agreement replaced the Management Agreement. The Amended Management Agreement (i) establishes a termination date for the Manager’s services of December 31, 2021 , in lieu of annual renewals of the term; (ii) reduces the “incentive fee” payable under the Amended Management Agreement from 25% to 17.5% for the remainder of the term; (iii) reduces by 50% the number of options that would otherwise be issuable in connection with the issuance of shares as consideration for the acquisition, and imposes a premium on the exercise price; (iv) eliminates the Manager’s right to receive options in connection with future equity raises by the Company; and (v) eliminates certain payments otherwise due at or after the end of the term of the prior management agreement. In connection with entering into the Amended Management Agreement and the occurrence of the consummation of the acquisition, the Company issued to the Manager 4,205,607 shares of Company Common Stock and granted to the Manager options to acquire 3,163,264 shares of Company Common Stock. The Manager is restricted from selling the issued shares until the expiration of the Amended Management Agreement, or otherwise upon a change in control and certain other extraordinary events. The options have an exercise price of $15.50 and become exercisable upon the first trading day immediately following the first 20 consecutive trading day period in which the closing price of the Company Common Stock (on its principal U.S. national securities exchange) is at or above $20 per share (subject to adjustment). The options also become exercisable upon a change in control and certain other extraordinary events. Upon expiration of the term of the Amended Management Agreement, the Manager will cease providing external management services to the Company, and the Manager will no longer be the employer of the person serving in the role of Chief Executive Officer of the consolidated company. The following table provides the management and incentive fees recognized and paid to the Manager: Three months ended Nine Months Ended In thousands September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 Management fee expense $ 4,269 $ 2,456 $ 12,702 $ 7,368 Incentive fee expense — — — 1,455 Management fees paid 8,943 2,456 16,326 8,623 Incentive fees paid — 1,455 2,602 6,675 Reimbursement for expenses 591 774 1,916 2,000 The Company had no outstanding liability for all Management Agreement related fees at September 30, 2020 and a liability of $6.5 million at December 31, 2019 , included in accrued expenses.

Subsequent events

Subsequent events	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Subsequent Events [Abstract]
Subsequent events	NOTE 16 — Subsequent events Subsequent Dispositions Subsequent to the end of the third quarter of 2020, the Company closed on the sale of various non-core and real estate assets, including BridgeTower Media LLC, the Nantucket Inquirer & Mirror, as well as a minority investment, for proceeds of approximately $100 million .

Basis of presentation and sum_2

Basis of presentation and summary of significant accounting policies (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of presentation	Basis of presentation: Our condensed consolidated financial statements are unaudited; however, in the opinion of management, they contain all of the adjustments (consisting of those of a normal, recurring nature) considered necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows for the periods presented in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP") applicable to interim periods. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The Company consolidates entities that it controls due to ownership of a majority voting interest. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 .
Use of estimates	Use of estimates: The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused increased uncertainty in estimates and assumptions affecting the reported amounts of assets and liabilities as of the date of the condensed consolidated financial statements. Examples of significant estimates include pension and postretirement benefit obligation assumptions, income taxes, leases, self-insurance liabilities, impairment analysis, stock-based compensation, business combinations and valuation of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Advertising and marketing services revenues	Advertising and marketing services revenues: Pursuant to our acquisition of Legacy Gannett, we realigned the presentation of marketing services revenues generated by our UpCurve subsidiary from other revenues to advertising and marketing services revenue on the Condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss) . As a result of this updated presentation, Advertising and marketing services revenues increased and Other revenues decreased $16.6 million and $51.4 million for the three and nine months ended September 29, 2019 , respectively. Operating revenues, Net income (loss), Retained earnings, and Earnings per share remained unchanged.
Segment presentation	Segment presentation: In connection with our Legacy Gannett acquisition and as noted above, we reorganized our reportable segments to include (1) Publishing , which consists of our portfolio of regional, national, and international newspaper publishers and (2) Marketing Solutions , which is comprised of our marketing solutions subsidiaries ReachLocal, UpCurve and WordStream. In addition to these operating segments, we have a Corporate and other category that includes activities not directly attributable to a specific segment. This category primarily consists of broad corporate functions and includes legal, human resources, accounting, analytics, finance, and marketing as well as activities and costs not directly attributable to a particular segment and other general business costs.
Cash and cash equivalents, including restricted cash	Cash and cash equivalents, including restricted cash: Cash equivalents represent highly liquid certificates of deposit which have original maturities of three months or less. Restricted cash is held as cash collateral for certain business operations. Restricted cash primarily consists of funding for letters of credit and cash held in an irrevocable grantor trust for our deferred compensation plans. The restrictions will lapse when benefits are paid to plan participants and their beneficiaries as specified in the plans.
New and not yet adopted accounting pronouncements	New accounting pronouncements adopted: The following are new accounting pronouncements that we adopted in the first nine months of 2020 : Financial Instruments—Credit Losses: In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued new guidance which amends the principles around the recognition of credit losses by mandating entities incorporate an estimate of current expected credit losses when determining the value of certain assets. The guidance also amends reporting around allowances for credit losses on available-for-sale marketable securities. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. Adopting this guidance did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements, refer to Note 4 — Accounts receivable, net for further details. Intangibles—Internal Use Software : In August 2018, the FASB issued new guidance which aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software and hosting arrangements that include an internal-use software license. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in any interim period. The guidance can be applied either retrospectively or prospectively to all implementation costs incurred after the date of adoption. This guidance was adopted prospectively and did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. Capitalized costs are recognized within prepaid expenses and other current assets or other assets within the consolidated balance sheet. Fair Value Measurement—Disclosure Framework: In August 2018, the FASB issued new guidance that changes disclosure requirements related to fair value measurements as part of the disclosure framework project. The disclosure framework project aims to improve the effectiveness of disclosures in the notes to the financial statements by focusing on requirements that clearly communicate the most important information to users of the financial statements. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. Adopting this guidance did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. New accounting pronouncements not yet adopted: The following are new accounting pronouncements that we are evaluating for future impacts on our financial statements: Compensation—Retirement Plans: In August 2018, the FASB issued new guidance that changes disclosures related to defined benefit pension and other postretirement benefit plans as part of the disclosure framework project. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, with early adoption permitted. We are evaluating the provisions of the updated guidance and assessing the impact on our consolidated financial statements. Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes: In December 2019, the FASB issued new guidance that simplifies the accounting for income taxes. The guidance amends the rules for recognizing deferred taxes for investments, performing intraperiod tax allocations and calculating income taxes in interim periods. It also reduces complexity in certain areas, including accounting for transactions that result in a step-up in the tax basis of goodwill and allocating taxes to members of a consolidated group. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, with early adoption permitted. We are evaluating the provisions of the updated guidance and assessing the impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Basis of presentation and sum_3

Basis of presentation and summary of significant accounting policies (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Schedule of cash and cash equivalents	The following table presents a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash: In thousands September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 Cash and cash equivalents $ 188,960 $ 28,641 Restricted cash included in other current assets 10,796 3,128 Restricted cash included in investments and other assets 24,177 — Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash $ 223,933 $ 31,769
Summary of restrictions on cash and cash Equivalents	The following table presents a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash: In thousands September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 Cash and cash equivalents $ 188,960 $ 28,641 Restricted cash included in other current assets 10,796 3,128 Restricted cash included in investments and other assets 24,177 — Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash $ 223,933 $ 31,769

Revenues (Tables)

Revenues (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Schedule of disaggregation of revenue	The following table presents our revenues disaggregated by source: Three months ended Nine months ended In thousands September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 Print advertising $ 208,047 $ 139,243 $ 664,047 $ 448,348 Digital advertising and marketing services 197,180 44,835 585,109 133,972 Total advertising and marketing services 405,227 184,078 1,249,156 582,320 Circulation 336,158 146,254 1,053,528 449,269 Other 73,154 46,317 227,539 137,047 Total revenues $ 814,539 $ 376,649 $ 2,530,223 $ 1,168,636
Schedule of deferred revenue	The following table presents changes in the deferred revenues balance for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 by type of revenues: In thousands Advertising, Marketing Services, and Other Circulation Total Beginning balance $ 67,543 $ 151,280 $ 218,823 Cash receipts 215,050 878,856 1,093,906 Revenue recognized (221,052 ) (884,080 ) (1,105,132 ) Ending balance $ 61,541 $ 146,056 $ 207,597

Leases (Tables)

Leases (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Leases [Abstract]
Schedule of lease cost	The components of lease expense were as follows: Three months ended Nine months ended In thousands September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 Operating lease cost (a) $ 23,821 $ 7,841 $ 72,142 $ 23,810 Short-term lease cost (b) 828 1,124 5,315 2,756 Net lease cost $ 24,649 $ 8,965 $ 77,457 $ 26,566 (a) Includes variable lease costs of $2.9 million and $4.8 million , respectively, and sublease income of $0.9 million and $0.6 million , respectively, for the three months ended September 30, 2020 and September 29, 2019 and variable lease costs of $9.7 million and $5.6 million , respectively, and sublease income of $2.9 million and $1.7 million , respectively, for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and September 29, 2019 . (b) Excluding expenses relating to leases with a lease term of one month or less. Other information related to leases were as follows: Nine months ended In thousands, except lease term and discount rate September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 Supplemental information Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of operating lease liabilities $ 61,508 $ 18,899 Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for operating lease obligations 25,562 18,642 As of September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 Weighted-average remaining lease term (in years) 7.7 8.6 Weighted-average discount rate 12.66 % 10.54 %
Summary of operating lease liability, maturity	Future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable leases as of September 30, 2020 are as follows: In thousands Year ended December 31, (a) 2020 (excluding the nine months ended September 30, 2020) $ 15,968 2021 82,679 2022 74,650 2023 62,115 2024 55,419 Thereafter 246,439 Total future minimum lease payments 537,270 Less: Imputed interest (213,143 ) Total $ 324,127 (a) Operating lease payments exclude $12.7 million of legally binding minimum lease payments for leases signed but not yet commenced.

Accounts receivable, net (Table

Accounts receivable, net (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Receivables [Abstract]
Schedule of allowance for doubtful accounts	The following table presents changes in the allowance for doubtful accounts for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 : In thousands Beginning balance $ 19,923 Current period provision 23,075 Write-offs charged against the allowance (21,139 ) Recoveries of amounts previously written-off 2,230 Disposition (351 ) Foreign currency 11 Ending balance $ 23,749

Acquisitions (Tables)

Acquisitions (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Summary of pro forma information	Pro forma information: The following table sets forth unaudited pro forma results of operations assuming the Legacy Gannett acquisition, along with transactions necessary to finance the acquisition, occurred at the beginning of 2019: Three months ended Nine months ended In thousands; unaudited September 29, 2019 September 29, 2019 Total revenues $ 1,010,508 $ 3,124,186 Net income (loss) (58,857 ) (110,938 ) Earnings (loss) per share - diluted $ (0.48 ) $ (0.90 )

Goodwill & Intangible Assets (T

Goodwill & Intangible Assets (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of goodwill, indefinite-lived intangible assets, and amortizable intangible assets	Goodwill and intangible assets consisted of the following: September 30, 2020 In thousands Gross carrying amount Accumulated amortization Net carrying amount Amortized intangible assets (a) : Advertiser relationships $ 496,062 $ 111,782 $ 384,280 Other customer relationships 112,704 24,561 88,143 Subscriber relationships 265,218 67,469 197,749 Other intangible assets 70,317 23,141 47,176 Total $ 944,301 $ 226,953 $ 717,348 Non-amortized intangible assets: Goodwill $ 560,215 Mastheads (a) 176,373 Total $ 736,588 December 31, 2019 Gross carrying amount Accumulated Net carrying amount Amortized intangible assets: Advertiser relationships $ 534,161 $ 75,363 $ 458,798 Other customer relationships 109,674 14,303 95,371 Subscriber relationships 259,391 44,878 214,513 Other intangible assets 76,552 11,229 65,323 Total $ 979,778 $ 145,773 $ 834,005 Non-amortized intangible assets: Goodwill $ 914,331 Mastheads $ 178,559 Total $ 1,092,890 (a) Includes measurement period adjustments for the Legacy Gannett and other 2019 acquisitions.
Schedule of goodwill by segments	The balances and changes in the carrying amount of goodwill by segment are as follows: In thousands Publishing (a) Marketing Solutions Consolidated Gross balance at December 31, 2019 $ 800,606 $ 201,646 $ 1,002,252 Accumulated impairments (84,272 ) (3,649 ) (87,921 ) Net balance at December 31, 2019 $ 716,334 $ 197,997 $ 914,331 Activity during the nine months ended September 30, 2020: Goodwill impairment $ (321,851 ) $ (40,499 ) $ (362,350 ) Measurement period adjustments 70,558 (58,788 ) 11,770 Foreign currency exchange rate changes (3,536 ) — (3,536 ) Total $ (254,829 ) $ (99,287 ) $ (354,116 ) Gross balance at September 30, 2020 $ 869,439 $ 142,858 $ 1,012,297 Accumulated impairments (407,934 ) (44,148 ) (452,082 ) Net balance at September 30, 2020 $ 461,505 $ 98,710 $ 560,215 (a) The Publishing segment includes the Domestic Publishing and Newsquest reporting units.

Integration and reorganizatio_2

Integration and reorganization costs and impairments of property, plant and equipment (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]
Schedule of restructuring and related costs	Severance-related expenses: We recorded severance-related expenses by segment as follows: Three months ended Nine months ended In thousands September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 Publishing $ 3,983 $ 1,489 $ 35,401 $ 6,145 Marketing Solutions 1,196 431 5,333 1,167 Corporate and Other 2,103 8 14,069 909 Total $ 7,282 $ 1,928 $ 54,803 $ 8,221 A rollforward of the accrued severance and related costs included in Accounts payable and accrued expenses on the Condensed consolidated balance sheets for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 are as follows: In thousands Beginning balance $ 30,785 Restructuring provision included in integration and reorganization costs 54,803 Cash payments (71,962 ) Ending balance $ 13,626
Schedule of consolidation charges and accelerated depreciation	Facility consolidation and other restructuring-related expenses: We recorded facility consolidation charges and other restructuring-related costs by segment as follows: Three months ended Nine months ended In thousands September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 Publishing $ 1,137 $ 1,119 $ 3,648 $ 2,922 Marketing Solutions 41 70 254 70 Corporate and Other 4,957 19 15,273 2,000 Total $ 6,135 $ 1,208 $ 19,175 $ 4,992

Pensions and other postretire_2

Pensions and other postretirement benefit plans (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]
Summary of benefit costs	Retirement plan costs include the following components: Three months ended September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 In thousands Pension OPEB Pension OPEB Operating expenses: Service cost - Benefits earned during the period $ 693 $ 27 $ 159 $ — Non-operating expenses (Other income): Interest cost on benefit obligation 20,670 580 737 22 Expected return on plan assets (39,573 ) — (937 ) — Amortization of actuarial loss (gain) (26 ) 15 (39 ) 9 Total non-operating expenses (benefit) $ (18,929 ) $ 595 $ (239 ) $ 31 Total expense (benefit) for retirement plans $ (18,236 ) $ 622 $ (80 ) $ 31 Nine months ended September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 In thousands Pension OPEB Pension OPEB Operating expenses: Service cost - Benefits earned during the period $ 2,078 $ 79 $ 476 $ — Non-operating expenses (Other income): Interest cost on benefit obligation 61,803 1,740 2,210 67 Expected return on plan assets (117,940 ) — (2,812 ) — Amortization of actuarial loss (gain) (80 ) 44 (117 ) 27 Total non-operating expenses (benefit) $ (56,217 ) $ 1,784 $ (719 ) $ 94 Total expense (benefit) for retirement plans $ (54,139 ) $ 1,863 $ (243 ) $ 94

Income taxes (Tables)

Income taxes (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of components of income tax expense (benefit)	The following table outlines our pre-tax net income (loss) and income tax amounts: Three months ended Nine months ended In thousands September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 Pre-tax net income (loss) $ (28,350 ) $ (11,742 ) $ (572,085 ) $ (20,779 ) Income tax expense (benefit) 3,098 7,226 (22,200 ) 4,929 Effective tax rate *** *** 3.9 % *** *** Indicates a percentage that is not meaningful.

Supplemental equity informati_2

Supplemental equity information (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Equity [Abstract]
Schedule of earnings (loss) per share (basic and diluted)	The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted loss per share: Three months ended Nine months ended In thousands September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 Net loss attributable to Gannett $ (31,260 ) $ (18,463 ) $ (548,305 ) $ (24,754 ) Basic weighted average shares outstanding 132,223 60,034 131,425 60,010 Diluted weighted average shares outstanding 132,223 60,034 131,425 60,010
Schedule of securities from computation of diluted income per share	The Company excluded the following securities from the computation of diluted income per share because their effect would have been antidilutive: Three months ended Nine months ended In thousands September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 Stock warrants 1,362 1,362 1,362 1,362 Stock options 6,068 2,905 6,068 2,905 Restricted stock awards 7,130 446 7,130 446
Summary of manager stock options	The following table includes additional information regarding the Manager stock options: Number of Options (In thousands) Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value Weighted-Average Exercise Price Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Term (Years) Aggregate Intrinsic Value ($000) Outstanding at December 31, 2019 6,068 $ 1.78 $ 14.70 8.2 $ — Granted — $ — $ — Outstanding at September 30, 2020 6,068 $ 1.78 $ 13.97 7.4 $ — Exercisable at September 30, 2020 3,936 $ 1.78 $ 13.15 6.5 $ —
Schedule of nonvested RSG cost	The following table outlines restricted stock unit ("RSU") and performance stock unit ("PSU") award activity specific to Legacy Gannett for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 : Nine months ended September 30, 2020 Number RSUs & PSUs (In thousands) Weighted- Unvested at beginning of period 7,368 $ 6.28 Granted 282 0.90 Vested (4,100 ) 6.27 Forfeited (401 ) 2.61 Unvested at end of period 3,149 $ 6.28 The following table outlines restricted stock grant ("RSGs") activity for the Company for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 : Nine months ended September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 Number of RSGs (In thousands) Weighted- Average Grant Date Fair Value Number of RSGs (In thousands) Weighted- Unvested at beginning of period 317 $ 14.61 384 $ 16.11 Granted 5,277 3.89 300 13.64 Vested (1,157 ) 5.86 (167 ) 15.95 Forfeited (456 ) 3.36 (71 ) 15.26 Unvested at end of period 3,981 $ 4.24 446 $ 14.65
Schedule of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	The following tables summarize the components of, and the changes in, Accumulated other comprehensive loss (net of tax) for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and the nine months ended September 29, 2019 : Nine months ended September 30, 2020 In thousands Retirement Plans Foreign Currency Translation Total Beginning balance $ 936 $ 7,266 $ 8,202 Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications (5,675 ) (8,908 ) (14,583 ) Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss (a) (30 ) — (30 ) Net current period other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes (5,705 ) (8,908 ) (14,613 ) Ending balance $ (4,769 ) $ (1,642 ) $ (6,411 ) (a) This accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) component is included in the computation of net periodic benefit cost. See Note 9 — Pensions and other postretirement benefit plans . Nine months ended September 29, 2019 In thousands Retirement Plans Foreign Currency Translation Total Beginning balance $ (6,881 ) $ — $ (6,881 ) Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications — — — Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss (a) (90 ) — (90 ) Net current period other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes (90 ) — (90 ) Ending balance $ (6,971 ) $ — $ (6,971 ) (a) This accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) component is included in the computation of net periodic benefit cost. See Note 9 — Pensions and other postretirement benefit plans .
Reclassification out of accumulated other comprehensive income related to these postretirement plans	Reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive loss related to these postretirement plans include the following: Three months ended Nine months ended In thousands September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 Amortization of prior service credit, net $ — $ — $ — $ — Amortization of actuarial gain (11 ) (30 ) (36 ) (90 ) Total reclassifications, before tax (11 ) (30 ) (36 ) (90 ) Income tax expense (benefit) 1 — (6 ) — Total reclassifications, net of tax $ (12 ) $ (30 ) $ (30 ) $ (90 )

Segment reporting (Tables)

Segment reporting (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Schedule of segment reporting information, by segment	The following tables present our segment information: Three months ended September 30, 2020 In thousands Publishing Marketing Solutions Corporate and other Intersegment Eliminations Consolidated Advertising and marketing services - external sales $ 303,646 $ 100,807 $ 774 $ — $ 405,227 Advertising and marketing services - intersegment sales 25,862 — — (25,862 ) — Circulation 336,152 — 6 — 336,158 Other 66,566 4,636 1,952 — 73,154 Total revenues $ 732,226 $ 105,443 $ 2,732 $ (25,862 ) $ 814,539 Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP basis) $ 108,752 $ 4,177 $ (24,949 ) $ — $ 87,980 Three months ended September 29, 2019 In thousands Publishing Marketing Solutions Corporate and other Intersegment Eliminations Consolidated Advertising and marketing services - external sales $ 161,237 $ 22,110 $ 731 $ — $ 184,078 Advertising and marketing services - intersegment sales 17,254 — — (17,254 ) — Circulation 146,254 — — — 146,254 Other 41,514 4,564 239 — 46,317 Total revenues $ 366,259 $ 26,674 $ 970 $ (17,254 ) $ 376,649 Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP basis) $ 58,955 $ (1,697 ) $ (12,352 ) $ — $ 44,906 Nine months ended September 30, 2020 In thousands Publishing Marketing Solutions Corporate and other Intersegment Eliminations Consolidated Advertising and marketing services - external sales $ 939,923 $ 306,899 $ 2,334 $ — $ 1,249,156 Advertising and marketing services - intersegment sales 85,472 — — (85,472 ) — Circulation 1,053,518 — 10 — 1,053,528 Other 207,355 14,388 5,796 — 227,539 Total revenues $ 2,286,268 $ 321,287 $ 8,140 $ (85,472 ) $ 2,530,223 Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP basis) $ 311,767 $ 14,847 $ (61,548 ) $ — $ 265,066 Nine months ended September 29, 2019 In thousands Publishing Marketing Solutions Corporate and other Intersegment Eliminations Consolidated Advertising and marketing services - external sales $ 513,944 $ 66,658 $ 1,718 $ — $ 582,320 Advertising and marketing services - intersegment sales 52,582 — — (52,582 ) — Circulation 449,246 — 23 — 449,269 Other 123,003 13,248 796 — 137,047 Total revenues $ 1,138,775 $ 79,906 $ 2,537 $ (52,582 ) $ 1,168,636 Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP basis) $ 155,887 $ (7,393 ) $ (23,441 ) $ — $ 125,053 The table below shows the reconciliation of Net loss attributable to Gannett to Adjusted EBITDA for the periods presented: Three months ended Nine months ended In thousands September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 Net loss attributable to Gannett $ (31,260 ) $ (18,463 ) $ (548,305 ) $ (24,754 ) Income tax expense (benefit) 3,098 7,226 (22,200 ) 4,929 Interest expense 58,063 10,030 173,890 30,376 Loss on early extinguishment of debt 476 — 1,650 — Non-operating pension income (18,334 ) (208 ) (54,433 ) (625 ) Gain on sale of investments (7,800 ) — (7,995 ) — Other non-operating income, net (2,575 ) (22 ) (6,993 ) (176 ) Depreciation and amortization 61,355 24,482 205,706 68,733 Integration and reorganization costs 13,417 3,136 73,978 13,213 Acquisition costs 1,913 12,181 10,261 15,318 Asset impairments 1,585 — 8,444 2,469 Goodwill and intangible impairments — — 393,446 — Loss on sale or disposal of assets 795 602 1,540 3,339 Equity-based compensation expense 3,844 691 22,812 2,534 Other items 3,403 5,251 13,265 9,697 Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP basis) $ 87,980 $ 44,906 $ 265,066 $ 125,053

Related party transactions (Tab

Related party transactions (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Schedule of related party transactions	The following table provides the management and incentive fees recognized and paid to the Manager: Three months ended Nine Months Ended In thousands September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 September 30, 2020 September 29, 2019 Management fee expense $ 4,269 $ 2,456 $ 12,702 $ 7,368 Incentive fee expense — — — 1,455 Management fees paid 8,943 2,456 16,326 8,623 Incentive fees paid — 1,455 2,602 6,675 Reimbursement for expenses 591 774 1,916 2,000

Basis of presentation and sum_4

Basis of presentation and summary of significant accounting policies - Narrative (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020USD ($)brandstate	Sep. 29, 2019USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2020USD ($)brandsegmentstate	Sep. 29, 2019USD ($)
Significant Accounting Policies
Number of states in which entity operates (states) | state	46		46
Number of operating segments (segments) | segment			2
Total operating revenues	$ 814,539	$ 376,649	$ 2,530,223	$ 1,168,636
U.K.
Significant Accounting Policies
Number of media brands, more than (brands) | brand	140		140
Advertising and marketing services
Significant Accounting Policies
Total operating revenues	$ 405,227	184,078	$ 1,249,156	582,320
Restatement Adjustment | Advertising and marketing services
Significant Accounting Policies
Total operating revenues		$ 16,600		$ 51,400

Basis of presentation and sum_5

Basis of presentation and summary of significant accounting policies - Schedule of Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Sep. 29, 2019	Dec. 30, 2018
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents\
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 188,960	$ 156,042	$ 28,641
Restricted cash included in other current assets	10,796		3,128
Restricted cash included in investments and other assets	24,177		0
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	$ 223,933	$ 188,664	$ 31,769	$ 52,770

Revenues - Disaggregation of Re

Revenues - Disaggregation of Revenue (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019
Disaggregation of Revenue
Total revenues	$ 814,539	$ 376,649	$ 2,530,223	$ 1,168,636
Total advertising and marketing services
Disaggregation of Revenue
Total revenues	405,227	184,078	1,249,156	582,320
Print advertising
Disaggregation of Revenue
Total revenues	208,047	139,243	664,047	448,348
Digital advertising and marketing services
Disaggregation of Revenue
Total revenues	197,180	44,835	585,109	133,972
Circulation
Disaggregation of Revenue
Total revenues	336,158	146,254	1,053,528	449,269
Other
Disaggregation of Revenue
Total revenues	$ 73,154	$ 46,317	$ 227,539	$ 137,047

Revenues - Narrative (Details)

Revenues - Narrative (Details)	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2020
Minimum
Revenue, Initial Application Period Cumulative Effect Transition [Line Items]
Expected recognition period		3 months
Subscription period (in months)		1 month
Maximum
Revenue, Initial Application Period Cumulative Effect Transition [Line Items]
Expected recognition period		12 months
Subscription period (in months)		12 months
International
Revenue, Initial Application Period Cumulative Effect Transition [Line Items]
Revenue, percentage	7.00%	7.00%

Revenues - Deferred Revenue (De

Revenues - Deferred Revenue (Details) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020USD ($)
Movement in Deferred Revenue
Beginning balance	$ 218,823
Cash receipts	1,093,906
Revenue recognized	(1,105,132)
Ending balance	207,597
Advertising, Marketing Services, and Other
Movement in Deferred Revenue
Beginning balance	67,543
Cash receipts	215,050
Revenue recognized	(221,052)
Ending balance	61,541
Circulation
Movement in Deferred Revenue
Beginning balance	151,280
Cash receipts	878,856
Revenue recognized	(884,080)
Ending balance	$ 146,056

Leases - Narratives (Details)

Leases - Narratives (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Lessee, Lease
Operating lease assets	$ 295,775	$ 309,112
Short-term operating lease liabilities	$ 43,500
Operating Lease, Liability, Current, Statement of Financial Position\	us-gaap:OtherLiabilitiesCurrent	us-gaap:OtherLiabilitiesCurrent
Long-term operating lease liabilities	$ 280,556	$ 297,662
Minimum
Lessee, Lease
Remaining lease term with option to extend (in years)	1 year
Maximum
Lessee, Lease
Remaining lease term with option to extend (in years)	15 years

Leases - Components of Lease Ex

Leases - Components of Lease Expense (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019
Leases [Abstract]
Operating lease cost	$ 23,821	$ 7,841	$ 72,142	$ 23,810
Short-term lease cost, excluding expenses relating to leases with a lease term of one month or less	828	1,124	5,315	2,756
Net lease cost	24,649	8,965	77,457	26,566
Variable lease costs	2,900	4,800	9,700	5,600
Sublease income	$ 900	$ 600	$ 2,900	$ 1,700

Leases - Future Minimum Lease P

Leases - Future Minimum Lease Payments (Details) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020USD ($)
Leases [Abstract]
2020 (excluding the nine months ended September 30, 2020)	$ 15,968
2021	82,679
2022	74,650
2023	62,115
2024	55,419
Thereafter	246,439
Total future minimum lease payments	537,270
Less: Imputed interest	(213,143)
Total	324,127
Lease payments for leases signed but not yet commenced	$ 12,700

Leases - Other Information (Det

Leases - Other Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019
Supplemental cash flow information:
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of operating lease liabilities	$ 61,508	$ 18,899
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for operating lease obligations	$ 25,562	$ 18,642
Weighted-average remaining lease term (in years)	7 years 8 months 12 days	8 years 7 months 6 days
Weighted-average discount rate	12.66%	10.54%

Accounts receivable, net - Narr

Accounts receivable, net - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable
Accounts receivable, reserve percentage calculation period			3 years
Threshold period for reserves			90 days
Bad debt expense	$ 5,700	$ 1,500	$ 23,075	$ 5,500
Covid
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable
Bad debt expense	$ 4,500

Accounts receivable, net - Allo

Accounts receivable, net - Allowance for doubtful accounts (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss
Beginning balance			$ 19,923
Current period provision	$ 5,700	$ 1,500	23,075	$ 5,500
Write-offs charged against the allowance			(21,139)
Recoveries of amounts previously written-off			2,230
Disposition			(351)
Foreign currency			11
Ending balance	$ 23,749		$ 23,749

Acquisitions - Narrative (Detai

Acquisitions - Narrative (Details)	Nov. 19, 2019USD ($)brandorganization	Dec. 31, 2019USD ($)publicationbusinessagencynewspaper	Sep. 30, 2020USD ($)state
Business Acquisition
Number of states in which entity operates (states) | state			46
Contingent consideration payable			$ 0
Gannett Co., Inc
Business Acquisition
Number of media organizations (organization) | organization	109
Number of media brands, more than (brands) | brand	140
Aggregate purchase price	$ 1,300,000,000
Certain Publications and Businesses
Business Acquisition
Aggregate purchase price		$ 53,400,000
Ownership interest acquired		58.00%
Number of daily newspapers (newspaper) | newspaper		11
Number of weekly publications (publication) | publication		11
Number of shoppers (shopper) | agency		9
Number of events production businesses (business) | business		5
Certain Publications and Businesses | Third Party
Business Acquisition
Ownership interest acquired		42.00%
U.S.
Business Acquisition
Number of states in which entity operates (states) | state			34

Acquisitions - Proforma (Detail

Acquisitions - Proforma (Details) - Gannett Co., Inc - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 29, 2019	Sep. 29, 2019
Business Acquisition
Total revenues	$ 1,010,508	$ 3,124,186
Net income (loss)	$ (58,857)	$ (110,938)
Earnings (loss) per share - diluted (in USD per share)	$ (0.48)	$ (0.90)

Goodwill & Intangible Assets -

Goodwill & Intangible Assets - Schedule of Intangible Assets (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Amortized intangible assets:
Gross carrying amount	$ 944,301	$ 979,778
Accumulated amortization	226,953	145,773
Net carrying amount	717,348	834,005
Goodwill	560,215	914,331
Total	736,588	1,092,890
Mastheads
Non-amortized intangible assets:
Nonamortized intangible assets	176,373	178,559
Advertiser relationships
Amortized intangible assets:
Gross carrying amount	496,062	534,161
Accumulated amortization	111,782	75,363
Net carrying amount	384,280	458,798
Other customer relationships
Amortized intangible assets:
Gross carrying amount	112,704	109,674
Accumulated amortization	24,561	14,303
Net carrying amount	88,143	95,371
Subscriber relationships
Amortized intangible assets:
Gross carrying amount	265,218	259,391
Accumulated amortization	67,469	44,878
Net carrying amount	197,749	214,513
Other intangible assets
Amortized intangible assets:
Gross carrying amount	70,317	76,552
Accumulated amortization	23,141	11,229
Net carrying amount	$ 47,176	$ 65,323

Goodwill and other intangible a

Goodwill and other intangible assets - Change in Goodwill (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Goodwill
Gross balance	$ 1,012,297	$ 1,002,252
Accumulated impairments	(452,082)	(87,921)
Goodwill impairment	(362,350)
Measurement period adjustments	11,770
Foreign currency exchange rate changes	(3,536)
Total	(354,116)
Goodwill	560,215	914,331
Publishing Segment
Goodwill
Gross balance	869,439	800,606
Accumulated impairments	(407,934)	(84,272)
Goodwill impairment	(321,851)
Measurement period adjustments	70,558
Foreign currency exchange rate changes	(3,536)
Total	(254,829)
Goodwill	461,505	716,334
Marketing Solutions
Goodwill
Gross balance	142,858	201,646
Accumulated impairments	(44,148)	(3,649)
Goodwill impairment	(40,499)
Measurement period adjustments	(58,788)
Foreign currency exchange rate changes	0
Total	(99,287)
Goodwill	$ 98,710	$ 197,997

Goodwill and other intangible_2

Goodwill and other intangible assets - Narrative (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2020
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets
Impairment of I intangible assets excluding goodwill	$ 23,000
Goodwill impairment		$ 362,350
Domestic Publishing
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets
Impairment of finite lived intangible assets		4,000
Goodwill impairment	256,500
Newspaper Reporting Unit
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets
Impairment of finite lived intangible assets		$ 4,000
Goodwill impairment	65,400
Marketing Solutions
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets
Goodwill impairment	$ 40,500
Measurement Input, Long-term Revenue Growth Rate | Minimum
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets
Intangible assets measurement inputs (percent)		(0.50%)
Measurement Input, Long-term Revenue Growth Rate | Maximum
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets
Intangible assets measurement inputs (percent)		3.00%
Measurement Input, Discount Rate | Minimum
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets
Intangible assets measurement inputs (percent)		10.00%
Measurement Input, Discount Rate | Maximum
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets
Intangible assets measurement inputs (percent)		15.50%

Integration and reorganizatio_3

Integration and reorganization costs and impairments of property, plant and equipment - Severance Related Expenses (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019
Restructuring Cost and Reserve
Severance related expenses	$ 13,417	$ 3,136	$ 73,978	$ 13,213
Severance
Restructuring Cost and Reserve
Severance related expenses	7,282	1,928	54,803	8,221
Operating Segments | Publishing | Severance
Restructuring Cost and Reserve
Severance related expenses	3,983	1,489	35,401	6,145
Operating Segments | Marketing Solutions | Severance
Restructuring Cost and Reserve
Severance related expenses	1,196	431	5,333	1,167
Corporate and Other | Severance
Restructuring Cost and Reserve
Severance related expenses	$ 2,103	$ 8	$ 14,069	$ 909

Integration and reorganizatio_4

Integration and reorganization costs and impairments of property, plant and equipment - Restructuring Reserve (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019
Restructuring Reserve
Integration and reorganization costs	$ 13,417	$ 3,136	$ 73,978	$ 13,213
Severance
Restructuring Reserve
Beginning balance			30,785
Integration and reorganization costs	7,282	$ 1,928	54,803	$ 8,221
Cash payments			(71,962)
Ending balance	$ 13,626		$ 13,626

Integration and reorganizatio_5

Integration and reorganization costs and impairments of property, plant and equipment - Facility Consolidation Charges and Accelerated Depreciation (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019
Restructuring Cost and Reserve
Integration and reorganization costs	$ 13,417	$ 3,136	$ 73,978	$ 13,213
Facility Closing
Restructuring Cost and Reserve
Integration and reorganization costs	6,135	1,208	19,175	4,992
Operating Segments | Publishing | Facility Closing
Restructuring Cost and Reserve
Integration and reorganization costs	1,137	1,119	3,648	2,922
Operating Segments | Marketing Solutions | Facility Closing
Restructuring Cost and Reserve
Integration and reorganization costs	41	70	254	70
Corporate and Other | Facility Closing
Restructuring Cost and Reserve
Integration and reorganization costs	$ 4,957	$ 19	$ 15,273	$ 2,000

Integration and reorganizatio_6

Integration and reorganization costs and impairments of property, plant and equipment - Narrative (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019
Restructuring Cost and Reserve
Asset impairments	$ 1,585,000	$ 0	$ 8,444,000	$ 2,469,000
Publishing
Restructuring Cost and Reserve
Asset impairments	1,600,000	0	8,400,000
Accelerated depreciation	$ 9,300,000	$ 2,200,000	$ 45,000,000	4,800,000
Corporate and Other
Restructuring Cost and Reserve
Asset impairments				$ 2,500,000

Debt - Narrative (Details)

Debt - Narrative (Details)	Apr. 09, 2018USD ($)$ / shares	Nov. 30, 2019USD ($)directorindividual	Sep. 30, 2020USD ($)director	Sep. 29, 2019USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2020USD ($)director	Sep. 30, 2019USD ($)	Sep. 29, 2019USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019USD ($)
Line of Credit Facility
Interest expense			$ 58,063,000	$ 10,030,000	$ 173,890,000		$ 30,376,000
Loss on early extinguishment of debt			476,000	$ 0	1,650,000		$ 0
Current portion of long-term debt			15,179,000		15,179,000			$ 3,300,000
Senior secured term loan | Apollo Term Loan
Line of Credit Facility
Debt term (in years)		5 years
Aggregate principal amount		$ 1,800,000,000	$ 1,729,000,000		$ 1,729,000,000
Interest rate (as a percent)		11.50%			12.90%
Effective interest rate (as a percent)		6.50%
Number of Individuals | individual		2
Number of directors | director			1		1
Interest rate increase if gross leverage ratio exceeds certain thresholds (as a percent)		2.00%
Unrestricted cash requirement			$ 20,000,000		$ 20,000,000
Unrestricted cash prepaid requirement			40,000,000		$ 40,000,000
EBITDA initial ratio					1
Covenant, percent of net proceeds of asset sales (as a percent)					100.00%
Debt issuance costs		$ 4,900,000	4,100,000		$ 4,100,000
Unamortized discount		$ 116,600,000
Capitalized lender fees			93,300,000		93,300,000
Interest expense			51,000,000		152,400,000
Amortization of deferred financing costs			5,900,000		17,700,000
Loss on early extinguishment of debt			500,000		1,700,000
Interest paid			51,000,000			$ 176,000,000
Current portion of long-term debt			$ 15,200,000		$ 15,200,000
Senior secured term loan | Apollo Term Loan | Period 1
Line of Credit Facility
Covenant, percent of excess cash flow (as a percent)					50.00%
Senior secured term loan | Apollo Term Loan | Period 2
Line of Credit Facility
Covenant, percent of excess cash flow (as a percent)					90.00%
Senior secured term loan | Apollo Term Loan | Maximum
Line of Credit Facility
Number of directors | director		2
Convertible debt | Convertible senior notes
Line of Credit Facility
Aggregate principal amount	$ 201,300,000
Effective interest rate (as a percent)			6.05%		6.05%
Stated interest rate (as a percent)	4.75%
Proceeds from debt	$ 195,300,000
Stated conversion rate	0.0824572
Conversion price (in usd per share) | $ / shares	$ 12.13
Redemption value								$ 198,000,000
Convertible debt, principal			$ 3,300,000		$ 3,300,000

Pensions and other postretire_3

Pensions and other postretirement benefit plans - Retirement Plan Costs (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019
Pension
Company's pension costs
Service cost - Benefits earned during the period	$ 693	$ 159	$ 2,078	$ 476
Interest cost on benefit obligation	20,670	737	61,803	2,210
Expected return on plan assets	(39,573)	(937)	(117,940)	(2,812)
Amortization of actuarial loss (gain)	(26)	(39)	(80)	(117)
Total non-operating expenses (benefit)	(18,929)	(239)	(56,217)	(719)
Total expense (benefit) for retirement plans	(18,236)	(80)	(54,139)	(243)
OPEB
Company's pension costs
Service cost - Benefits earned during the period	27	0	79	0
Interest cost on benefit obligation	580	22	1,740	67
Expected return on plan assets	0	0	0	0
Amortization of actuarial loss (gain)	15	9	44	27
Total non-operating expenses (benefit)	595	31	1,784	94
Total expense (benefit) for retirement plans	$ 622	$ 31	$ 1,863	$ 94

Pensions and other postretire_4

Pensions and other postretirement benefit plans - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2021
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Employee retirement contributions deferred	$ 11
Pension Plans
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Contribution to the defined benefit plans	19.6
Pension Plans | U.S. | Subsequent Event | Forecasted
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Deferred contributions by employer in response to COVID-19		$ 5
OPEB
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Contribution to the defined benefit plans	$ 5.7

Income taxes - Pre-tax Net Loss

Income taxes - Pre-tax Net Loss and Income Tax (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Pre-tax net income (loss)	$ (28,350)	$ (11,742)	$ (572,085)	$ (20,779)
Income tax expense (benefit)	$ 3,098	$ 7,226	$ (22,200)	$ 4,929
Effective tax rate (percent)			3.90%

Income taxes - Narrative (Detai

Income taxes - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Effective tax rate (percent)		3.90%
Estimated annual interest rate (percent)	6.20%
Unrecognized tax benefits that would impact effective tax rate	$ 32.9	$ 32.9	$ 32.4
Accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits	$ 2.5	$ 2.5	$ 1.9

Supplemental equity informati_3

Supplemental equity information - Loss Per Share (Basic and Diluted) (Detail) - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019
Equity [Abstract]
Net loss attributable to Gannett	$ (31,260)	$ (18,463)	$ (548,305)	$ (24,754)
Basic weighted average shares outstanding (in shares)	132,223	60,034	131,425	60,010
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding (in shares)	132,223	60,034	131,425	60,010

Supplemental equity informati_4

Supplemental equity information - Computation of Diluted Income Per Share (Detail) - shares shares in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019
Stock warrants
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award
Computation of diluted income per share (in shares)	1,362	1,362	1,362	1,362
Stock options
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award
Computation of diluted income per share (in shares)	6,068	2,905	6,068	2,905
Restricted stock awards
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award
Computation of diluted income per share (in shares)	7,130	446	7,130	446

Supplemental equity informati_5

Supplemental equity information - Narrative (Detail) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019	Dec. 31, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	May 17, 2017
Stockholders Equity Note
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01		$ 0.01		$ 0.01
Repurchase of common stock (in shares)			0
Share-based compensation cost	$ 3,800,000	$ 700,000	$ 22,800,000	$ 2,500,000
Unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested share-based compensation	20,700,000		$ 20,700,000
Weighted average period			2 years
Payment of dividends			$ 0	$ 68,886,000
Restricted Stock Grants (RSGs)
Stockholders Equity Note
Aggregate intrinsic value of unvested	$ 9,300,000		$ 9,300,000
2014 Options | Manager
Stockholders Equity Note
Stock options granted (in shares)			652,311
Option to purchase shares of common stock, price per share (in dollars per share)	$ 9.94		$ 9.94			$ 11.46
2014 Options | Manager | Previously Reported
Stockholders Equity Note
Option to purchase shares of common stock, price per share (in dollars per share)	11.46		$ 11.46			$ 12.95
2015 Options | Manager
Stockholders Equity Note
Stock options granted (in shares)			700,000
Option to purchase shares of common stock, price per share (in dollars per share)	15.93	$ 17.45	$ 15.93	$ 17.45
2015 Options | Manager | Previously Reported
Stockholders Equity Note
Option to purchase shares of common stock, price per share (in dollars per share)	17.45	18.94	$ 17.45	18.94
2016 Options | Manager
Stockholders Equity Note
Stock options granted (in shares)			862,500
Option to purchase shares of common stock, price per share (in dollars per share)	10.23	11.75	$ 10.23	11.75
2016 Options | Manager | Previously Reported
Stockholders Equity Note
Option to purchase shares of common stock, price per share (in dollars per share)	11.75	13.24	$ 11.75	13.24
2018 Options | Manager
Stockholders Equity Note
Stock options granted (in shares)			690,000
Option to purchase shares of common stock, price per share (in dollars per share)	13.44	14.96	$ 13.44	14.96
2018 Options | Manager | Previously Reported
Stockholders Equity Note
Option to purchase shares of common stock, price per share (in dollars per share)	$ 14.96	$ 16.45	$ 14.96	$ 16.45
Share Repurchase Program
Stockholders Equity Note
Shares authorized for repurchase (up to) (shares)							$ 100,000,000
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)							$ 0.01

Supplemental equity informati_6

Supplemental equity information - Summary of Stock-Option Awards (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Number of Options (In thousands)
Outstanding beginning (in shares)	6,068,000
Granted (in shares)	0
Outstanding ending (in shares)	6,068,000	6,068,000
Exercisable at September 30, 2020 (in shares)	3,936,000
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value
Outstanding beginning (in dollars per shares)	$ 1.78
Granted (in dollars per shares)	0
Outstanding ending (in dollars per shares)	1.78	$ 1.78
Exercisable at September 30, 2020 (in dollars per share)	1.78
Weighted-Average Exercise Price
Outstanding beginning (in dollars per shares)	14.70
Granted (in dollars per shares)	0
Outstanding ending (in dollars per shares)	13.97	$ 14.70
Exercisable at September 30, 2020 (in dollars per shares)	$ 13.15
Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Term (Years)
Weighted-average remaining contractual term (Years)	7 years 4 months 24 days	8 years 2 months 12 days
Weighted-average remaining contractual term (Years), exercisable	6 years 6 months
Aggregate Intrinsic Value ($000)
Aggregate intrinsic value	$ 0	$ 0
Exercisable at September 30, 2020	$ 0

Supplemental equity informati_7

Supplemental equity information - Restricted Stock Grants (Details) - $ / shares shares in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019
RSU's & PSU's | Legacy Gannett
Number of Units
Outstanding and unvested at beginning of year (in shares)	7,368
Granted (in shares)	282
Vested (in shares)	(4,100)
Forfeited (in shares)	(401)
Outstanding and unvested at end of year (in shares)	3,149
Weighted- Average Grant Date Fair Value
Outstanding and unvested at beginning (in dollars per shares)	$ 6.28
Granted (in dollars per share)	0.90
Vested (in dollars per shares)	6.27
Forfeited (in dollars per share)	2.61
Outstanding and unvested at end of year (in dollars per shares)	$ 6.28
Restricted Stock Grants (RSGs)
Number of Units
Outstanding and unvested at beginning of year (in shares)	317	384
Granted (in shares)	5,277	300
Vested (in shares)	(1,157)	(167)
Forfeited (in shares)	(456)	(71)
Outstanding and unvested at end of year (in shares)	3,981	446
Weighted- Average Grant Date Fair Value
Outstanding and unvested at beginning (in dollars per shares)	$ 14.61	$ 16.11
Granted (in dollars per share)	3.89	13.64
Vested (in dollars per shares)	5.86	15.95
Forfeited (in dollars per share)	3.36	15.26
Outstanding and unvested at end of year (in dollars per shares)	$ 4.24	$ 14.65

Supplemental equity informati_8

Supplemental equity information - Rights Agreement (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Apr. 06, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Equity [Abstract]
Operating loss carryforwards		$ 435
Rights agreement, dividend declared (in shares)	1
Rights agreement, percent of common stock owned required for exercise	4.99%
Rights agreement, additional percent of common stock owned required for exercise	0.50%
Exercise percent discount	50.00%
Number of shares that may be exchanged per right (in shares)	1

Supplemental equity informati_9

Supplemental equity information - Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax
Beginning balance	$ 981,356	$ 717,223
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	(14,583)	0
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss	(30)	(90)
Net current period other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes	(14,613)	(90)
Ending balance	426,129	625,458
Total
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax
Beginning balance	8,202	(6,881)
Ending balance	(6,411)	(6,971)
Retirement Plans
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax
Beginning balance	936	(6,881)
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	(5,675)	0
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss	(30)	(90)
Net current period other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes	(5,705)	(90)
Ending balance	(4,769)	(6,971)
Foreign Currency Translation
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax
Beginning balance	7,266	0
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	(8,908)	0
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss	0	0
Net current period other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes	(8,908)	0
Ending balance	$ (1,642)	$ 0

Supplemental equity informat_10

Supplemental equity information - Reclassifications of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss Related to Postretirement Plans (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019
Equity [Abstract]
Amortization of prior service credit, net	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Amortization of actuarial gain	(11)	(30)	(36)	(90)
Total reclassifications, before tax	(11)	(30)	(36)	(90)
Income tax expense (benefit)	1	0	(6)	0
Total reclassifications, net of tax	$ (12)	$ (30)	$ (30)	$ (90)

Fair value measurement - Narrat

Fair value measurement - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis
Assets held-for-sale	$ 3.2	$ 25.5

Segment reporting - Narrative (

Segment reporting - Narrative (Details)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020segment
Segment Reporting Information
Number of operating segments (segments)	2
Publishing
Segment Reporting Information
Number of operating segments (segments)	2

Segment reporting -Segment Info

Segment reporting -Segment Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019
Segment Reporting Information
Total operating revenues	$ 814,539	$ 376,649	$ 2,530,223	$ 1,168,636
Adjusted EBITDA	87,980	44,906	265,066	125,053
Marketing Solutions
Segment Reporting Information
Total operating revenues	405,227	184,078	1,249,156	582,320
Circulation
Segment Reporting Information
Total operating revenues	336,158	146,254	1,053,528	449,269
Other
Segment Reporting Information
Total operating revenues	73,154	46,317	227,539	137,047
Operating Segments | Publishing
Segment Reporting Information
Total operating revenues	732,226	366,259	2,286,268	1,138,775
Adjusted EBITDA	108,752	58,955	311,767	155,887
Operating Segments | Publishing | Marketing Solutions
Segment Reporting Information
Total operating revenues	303,646	161,237	939,923	513,944
Operating Segments | Publishing | Circulation
Segment Reporting Information
Total operating revenues	336,152	146,254	1,053,518	449,246
Operating Segments | Publishing | Other
Segment Reporting Information
Total operating revenues	66,566	41,514	207,355	123,003
Operating Segments | Marketing Solutions
Segment Reporting Information
Total operating revenues	105,443	26,674	321,287	79,906
Adjusted EBITDA	4,177	(1,697)	14,847	(7,393)
Operating Segments | Marketing Solutions | Marketing Solutions
Segment Reporting Information
Total operating revenues	100,807	22,110	306,899	66,658
Operating Segments | Marketing Solutions | Circulation
Segment Reporting Information
Total operating revenues	0	0	0	0
Operating Segments | Marketing Solutions | Other
Segment Reporting Information
Total operating revenues	4,636	4,564	14,388	13,248
Corporate and other
Segment Reporting Information
Total operating revenues	2,732	970	8,140	2,537
Adjusted EBITDA	(24,949)	(12,352)	(61,548)	(23,441)
Corporate and other | Marketing Solutions
Segment Reporting Information
Total operating revenues	774	731	2,334	1,718
Corporate and other | Circulation
Segment Reporting Information
Total operating revenues	6	0	10	23
Corporate and other | Other
Segment Reporting Information
Total operating revenues	1,952	239	5,796	796
Intersegment Eliminations
Segment Reporting Information
Total operating revenues	(25,862)	(17,254)	(85,472)	(52,582)
Intersegment Eliminations | Marketing Solutions
Segment Reporting Information
Total operating revenues	(25,862)	(17,254)	(85,472)	(52,582)
Intersegment Eliminations | Publishing | Marketing Solutions
Segment Reporting Information
Total operating revenues	25,862	17,254	85,472	52,582
Intersegment Eliminations | Marketing Solutions | Marketing Solutions
Segment Reporting Information
Total operating revenues	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0

Segment reporting - Reconciliat

Segment reporting - Reconciliation of EBITDA to Operating Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Net loss attributable to Gannett	$ (31,260)	$ (18,463)	$ (548,305)	$ (24,754)
Income tax expense (benefit)	3,098	7,226	(22,200)	4,929
Interest expense	58,063	10,030	173,890	30,376
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	476	0	1,650	0
Non-operating pension income	(18,334)	(208)	(54,433)	(625)
Gain on sale of investments	(7,800)	0	(7,995)	0
Other non-operating income, net	(2,575)	(22)	(6,993)	(176)
Depreciation and amortization	61,355	24,482	205,706	68,733
Integration and reorganization costs	13,417	3,136	73,978	13,213
Acquisition costs	1,913	12,181	10,261	15,318
Asset impairments	1,585	0	8,444	2,469
Goodwill and intangible impairments	0	0	393,446	0
Loss on sale or disposal of assets	795	602	1,540	3,339
Equity-based compensation expense	3,844	691	22,812	2,534
Other items	3,403	5,251	13,265	9,697
Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP basis)	$ 87,980	$ 44,906	$ 265,066	$ 125,053

Related party transactions - Ma

Related party transactions - Management and Incentive Fees (Details) - USD ($)	Nov. 19, 2019	Nov. 18, 2019	Nov. 26, 2013	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 29, 2019	Dec. 31, 2019
Related Party Transaction
Number of stock options (in shares)				6,068,000		6,068,000		6,068,000
Payment of dividends						$ 0	$ 68,886,000
Due from (to) related party				$ 0		0		$ (6,500,000)
FIG LLC | New Media
Related Party Transaction
Annual management fee (percent)			1.50%
Incentive fee (percent)	17.50%	25.00%
Reduction in number of options issuable (percent)	50.00%
Reimbursement for expenses				591,000	$ 774,000	1,916,000	2,000,000
FIG LLC | New Media | Management Fee
Related Party Transaction
Incentive fee expense				4,269,000	2,456,000	12,702,000	7,368,000
Fees paid				8,943,000	2,456,000	16,326,000	8,623,000
FIG LLC | New Media | Incentive Fee
Related Party Transaction
Incentive fee expense				0	0	0	1,455,000
Fees paid				$ 0	1,455,000	$ 2,602,000	6,675,000
Manager | FIG LLC | New Media
Related Party Transaction
Shares issued to management (in shares)	4,205,607
Option | Manager | FIG LLC | New Media
Related Party Transaction
Stock options granted (in shares)	3,163,264
Stock price (in dollars per share)	$ 15.50
Consecutive trading days with certain price triggering vesting	20 days
Price of stock triggering option vesting (in dollars per share)	$ 20
Fortress Investment Group LLC
Related Party Transaction
Affiliates ownership						3.00%
Outstanding warrants						40.00%
Number of stock options (in shares)				6,068,075		6,068,075
Payment of dividends				$ 0	$ 200,000	$ 0	$ 700,000

Subsequent events - Narrative (

Subsequent events - Narrative (Details) $ in Millions	1 Months Ended
	Nov. 03, 2020USD ($)
Subsequent Event
Subsequent Event
Divestiture	$ 100

Uncategorized Items - gci-20200

Label	Element	Value
Accounting Standards Update [Extensible List]	us-gaap_AccountingStandardsUpdateExtensibleList	us-gaap:AccountingStandardsUpdate201602Member