Citation styles dictate the amount and what type of information to provide for citing sources and also how to place them correctly. Whenever you paraphrase or quote a newspaper article, it is vital to cite correctly to acknowledge the source properly in order to avoid plagiarism. Each style guide adheres to its own formats and rules. This article provides a comprehensive guide to citing a newspaper article in APA style, MLA, and Chicago style.
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Cite a Newspaper Article – In a Nutshell
- Citation is used to credit the author of the ideas or quotes you incorporate in your work to prevent plagiarism.
- The citation style you choose to cite a newspaper article depends on your course guidelines and specific instructions.
- To cite a newspaper article, you need an in-text citation and a complete Reference List Entry. If you accessed the article online, it should contain:
- The author
- Article title
- Newspaper name
- Publication date
- URL
Definition: Cite a newspaper article
APA, MLA, and Chicago are three of the most common citation styles used to cite a newspaper article. Although they have some things in common, these three styles each present the needed information to cite a newspaper article differently, as seen below.
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- APA style – the APA style guide follows the author-date method of writing in-text citations including the author’s last name, and the year of publication of the source. e.g., (Jackson, 1995). A complete reference appears in the reference list at the end of the text.
- MLA – the MLA format in-text citation style uses the author’s last name or the page number of the source, or wherever the quotation is taken from. e.g., (Greene 91).
- Chicago style – the Chicago style recommends using footnotes rather than the author-date in-text citation style to cite a newspaper article. The footnotes are also left out in the bibliography, e.g., He recommended the author-date style.1
Cite a newspaper article in APA style
The American Psychological Association recommends the APA style. It uses the author-date style to place in-text citations to cite a newspaper article.
Below is a comprehensive guide on adequately using the APA style to cite a newspaper article.
Printed articles
The basic formula to cite a newspaper article that appears in print is the author’s last name, first initial and second initial if given, the publication year (month and day if provided), article title (and subtitle if provided), newspaper name, and the section page.
If the printed newspaper is divided into sections, always include the identifying letters; they usually appear before the page number., e.g., C4.
| APA Format: | Author last name, Initials. (Publication year, month, day). Title of article. Name of newspaper, pages. |
| APA Reference List Entry: | Smith, B. (2020, July 20). The end of an era. The Daily Standard, C4, C7 |
| APA In-text Citation: | (Smith, 2020) |
| APA Quotation: | (Smith, 2020, p. C4) |
Online articles
If the article you are referencing is from the newspaper’s website, use the URL instead of page numbers. If the article does not provide page numbers, do not include them in the references list.
| APA Format: | Author Last Name, Initials. (Publication year, month, day). Article title: Subtitle if provided. Newspaper name. URL |
| APA Reference List Entry: | Smith, B. (2013, February 2). The end of an era. The Daily Standard. https://www.thedailystandard/the-end-of-an-era. |
| APA In-text Citation: | (Smith, 2013) |
Cite a newspaper article in MLA style
MLA stands for the Modern Language Association, which establishes how to acknowledge the sources used for a research paper and is most commonly used in the humanities discipline.
Below is an in-depth guide on how to cite a newspaper article in the MLA style.
Printed articles
When referencing an article in a print newspaper, you must include the page numbers. For the in-text citation, specify only the page number if the article is spread across more than one page; otherwise, it is unnecessary.
If the article is across pages that don’t follow each other (e.g., starts on page 4 and continues on page 7), write the first number, then a plus sign, e.g., “pp. 4+.”
| MLA Format: | Author Last Name, First Name. "Article Title: Subtitle if provided." Newspaper name, Day Month Year, p. Page Number or pp. Page Numbers. |
| MLA Reference List Entry: | Michael, Doe. "Oil Prices Finally Drop." The Daily Standard, 3 April 2008, pp. C4+. |
| MLA In-text Citation: | (Michael C4) |
Online articles
| MLA Format: | Author Last Name, First Name. "Article Title: Subtitle if provided." Website title/Newspaper name, Day Month Year, URL. If there is no publication date: Accessed Day Month Year. |
| MLA Reference List Entry: | Michael, Doe, "Oil Prices Finally Drop." The Daily Standard, 5 April 2016, https://www.thedailystandard/oil-prices-finally-drop. Accessed 7 March 2019. |
| MLA In-text Citation: | (Michael) |
Cite a newspaper article in Chicago style
The Chicago referencing style can be used in two ways to cite a newspaper article. The author-date technique is often used in the sciences and social sciences, and the notes and bibliography style requires footnotes in the text. In the notes and bibliography style, the only articles you should list in the bibliography are those essential to your argument.
Printed articles
Page numbers are not used in the notes and bibliography entries to cite a newspaper article.
| Chicago Footnote: | 1. Author First Name Last Name, "Article Title," Newspaper name (Province of publication if not included in the name), Month Day, Year. |
| Footnote Example: | 1. Jack Doe, "The Games Start with a Bang," The Daily Standard, October 24, 2005. |
| Short Footnote Example: | 2. Doe, "The games start." |
| Bibliography Entry: | Author Last Name. First Name. "Article Title." Newspaper name (Province of publication), Month Day, Year. |
| Bibliography Entry Example: | Doe, Jack. "The Games Start with a Bang." The Daily Standard, October 25, 2005. |
Online articles
| Chicago Footnote: | 1. Author's First Name Last Name, "Article Title," Newspaper name (Province of publication if not included in the name), Month Day, Year, URL. |
| Footnote Example: | 1. Jack Doe, "The games start with a bang," The Daily Standard, October 24, 2005. https://www.thedailystandard.com/the-games-start-with-a-bang. |
| Short Footnote Example: | 2. Doe, "The games start." |
| Bibliography Entry: | Author Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Newspaper name (Province of publication if not included in the name), Month Day, Year. URL. |
| Bibliography Entry Example: | Doe, Jack. "The games start with a bang." The Daily Standard, October 25, 2005. https://www.thedailystandard.com/the-games-start-with-a-bang. |
FAQs
When you cite a newspaper article in the MLA style, the article’s title is listed in quotation marks and the newspaper name in italics. A URL is added at the end if you consulted the newspaper online. The in-text citation contains the author’s last name and the quotation’s page. e.g., (Dawson 78)
Before choosing a citation style to cite a newspaper article, consult your instructors and check the course guidelines for any specifications on citation styles.
The APA format is widely preferred in social and behavioral sciences such as history, psychology, and communication.