How Do You Cite A Newspaper Article in MLA? | With Examples

Writing an assignment, essay, report, or research paper is a comprehensive process that requires data and information from different sources. Students conduct in-depth research to find relevant facts and figures to enhance their academic papers efficiently. Moreover, they cite those sources in their papers to make them credible. Sometimes, they use data from newspaper articles, but how do you cite a newspaper in MLA? Let’s find out.

Citation is concerned with referencing a literature source in academic papers. However, it must be done correctly. Imagine you’re writing an assigned academic paper and have to scrounge essential details from a newspaper article. You take all the required information but also want to give credit to its writer. How can you undertake this crucial task? You can efficiently cite a newspaper article in MLA using the proper techniques.

This blog briefly focuses on MLA format, general guidelines for citing a newspaper article in MLA, six different methods to cite a newspaper article in MLA, examples of citing a newspaper in MLA, and why to cite a newspaper article in MLA.

What is MLA Format?

The MLA format, developed by the Modern Language Association, is a citation type used to document data and information sources in comprehensive scholarly papers. The MLA guidelines are particularly used in MLA citations to distinguish papers from APA, Chicago, and Harvard. It includes in-text citations and the works cited at the end of the paper. Here is the format for citing a newspaper article in MLA:
In-Text Citation: (Author’s Last Name Page Number)
Works Cited: Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Article Title”. Newspaper Title, Date of Publication, Page Number (s).

When to Use MLA Format?

The MLA format is prominently used in humanities fields such as English literature, arts, history, philosophy, and languages.

How to Prepare the First Page in an MLA Paper?

To prepare the first page of the MLA paper, enter your name, instructor’s name, course name, and date in the upper left-hand corner of the first page. Then, add the paper title in the center.

How to Prepare the Works Cited Page in an MLA Paper?

To prepare the works cited page in the MLA paper, make a separate page at the end of the academic paper. Entitle it with “Works Cited” and enlist all cited sources with the author’s last name alphabetically.

General Guidelines To Cite a Newspaper Article in MLA

MLA citations have two parts: one is in-text citation, and the other is mentioned in works cited. Both are important and efficiently written. If one part is not written correctly, there’s no use for the other. So, adhering to all required techniques is important while citing a newspaper article in MLA. Here are general guidelines that you must follow while citing a newspaper article in MLA:

🔵Author

The main element to remember when citing an MLA newspaper article is its author. As citations are mostly done to give credit to authors, it is essential to know their names. The MLA citation of a newspaper article begins with the author’s last name, followed by a comma and their last name.

🔵Article Title

The next thing to add to MLA citations is the article title. MLA citations are not only limited to authors’ last and first names but also highlight the article title. Adding the article title also significantly guides readers through the whole context of that source.

🔵Newspaper Name

The newspaper name is the third element after the article title in MLA citations. When a newspaper name is added, it helps readers to scroll relevant articles from that newspaper. The MLA citation of a newspaper article adds the newspaper name after the author’s last and first name and the article title.

🔵Date of Publication

After the newspaper’s name comes the date of publication. It efficiently educates the readers about when the given piece of information was published actually and how it is relevant to this paper. The MLA citation adds the date of publication after the newspaper name.

🔵Page Number

Page number is also an important part of MLA citations. When you’re citing a credible source, you must also mention its page number so that readers can effortlessly navigate its original location. The MLA citation adds the page number after the date of publication.

🔵Medium

When a newspaper article is cited in MLA, its medium should also be mentioned in the citation. You must clearly mention whether you have taken that particular price of information from a print newspaper or online newspaper. The MLA citation adds the medium after the publication date. However, in the case of online newspapers, the article’s link is written following the accessed date.

Six Different Methods to Cite A Newspaper Article in MLA

Newspaper articles can seem similar to everyone, but there are six types: print, online, database, historical, international, and local. Every type of newspaper article is cited differently in assignments, research papers, reports, and essays. There are different methods and formats of these types. By understanding them efficiently, you can cite any type of newspaper article efficiently. Here are the six different methods of citing a newspaper article in MLA:

How To Cite a Print Newspaper Article in MLA?

When research data is taken from a print newspaper article, it is cited accordingly in MLA. The thing you must keep in mind is that it doesn’t include a city name. If the page number is singular, write it as p; otherwise, write it as pp. Here is an example of citing a print newspaper article in MLA:

In-Text Citation: (Author’s Last Name Page Number)

(Smith 12)

Works Cited: Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Article Title”. Newspaper Title. Date of Publication, p.page number.

Smith, John. “New Policies in Education Reform”. The Daily Times, 5th Dec. 2023, p.12.

How To Cite an Online Newspaper Article in MLA?

When an information piece is paraphrased from an online newspaper article in an academic paper, it must be cited efficiently. There is also no need to add the city of publication and page number in the citation of online newspaper paper articles. However, here is an example of citing an online newspaper article in MLA:

In-Text Citation: (Author’s Last Name)

(Johnson)

Works Cited: Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Article Title”. Newspaper Title. Date of Publication, URL. Accessed Date.

Johnson, Emily. “The Effects of Climate Change on Coastal Cities”. The Guardian, 10th Dec, 2023. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jun/17/sea-level-rise-impact-us-coastal-homes-study-climate-change#:~:text=Sea%20level%20rise%20driven%20by,within%20the%20next%2030%20years. Accessed 25th Dec, 2024.

How To Cite a Database Newspaper Article in MLA?

Sometimes, data and information written in academic papers are inspired by different databases, and citing them is necessary. Its citation is done by adding additional things, such as section name, page number, database name, and URL in the works cited. Here is an example of citing a database newspaper article in MLA:

In-Text Citation: (Author’s Last Name Page Number)

(Taylor 8)

Works Cited: Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Article Title”. Newspaper Title. Date of Publication, section name,p.page number. Database Name, URL. Accessed Date.

Taylor, Michael. “Advancements in Renewable Energy Technology”. The New York Times, 20 Nov. 2023, science section, p.8. ProQuest, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0960148123012922. Accessed 25th Dec, 2024.

How To Cite a Historical Newspaper Article in MLA?

When a paragraph or sentence is taken from historical newspaper articles, it is cited in MLA following the author’s last and first name, article title, newspaper title, city, date of publication, page number, and medium. It is usually done while writing academic papers based on historical wars, personalities, or key events. Here is an example of citing a historical newspaper article in MLA:

In-Text Citation: (Author’s Last Name Page Number)

(Brown 3)

Works Cited: Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Article Title”. Newspaper Title (City of Publication). Date of Publication, p.page number. Medium.

Brown, Margaret. “Railroads Transform the American Landscape”. The Boston Daily Globe (Boston), 15th May 1875, p.3. Print.

How To Cite an International Newspaper Article in MLA?

Sometimes, essential facts and figures are added from international newspaper articles, so citing them is an entirely different process. It is done specifically by adding the city of publication along with the date and newspaper name. It takes the readers to international newspaper articles relevant to their research study. Here is an example of citing an international newspaper article in MLA:

In-Text Citation: (Author’s Last Name Page Number)

(Kumar 14)

Works Cited: Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Article Title”. Newspaper Title (City of Publication). Date of Publication, p.page number. Medium.

Kumar, Rajiv, “Economic Growth in Emerging Markets”. The Times of India (New Delhi), 3rd April.2024, p.14. Print.

How To Cite a Local Newspaper Article in MLA?

When data and information chunks are taken from local newspaper articles, they are cited by adding the publication date and city of the local newspaper. It significantly guides readers about their local newspaper’s various articles and discussions. Here is how MLA citation is done in the case of local newspaper articles:

In-Text Citation: (Author’s Last Name Page Number)

(Davis B2)

Works Cited: Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Article Title”. Newspaper Title (City of Publication). Date of Publication, p.page number. Medium.

Davis, Sarah. “Community Efforts to Restore the Town Park”. The Charleston Gazette (Charleston), 19th June 2023, p.B2. Print.

Why Cite A Newspaper Article in MLA?

Above, we have discussed different methods of citing newspaper articles based on their types. However, have you wondered why newspaper articles are used and cited in academic papers? Why not just mention the source of a particular data straightaway? Why all the frustration of following standards made by MLA? The answer is right here. Here are the five different purposes of citing a newspaper article in MLA:

• Guiding Readers

The prime purpose of citing a newspaper article in MLA is to guide readers. When readers browse published academic papers, MLA citations help them navigate the original sources from which the data is inspired or paraphrased. This significantly increases their engagement and readability.

• Facilitating Further Research

Another purpose of citing a newspaper article in MLA is to facilitate further research. When students research while writing their required academic papers, the published case studies, articles, and precedents with good newspaper references play a significant part. This significantly helps them find the best information and make their papers worthwhile.

• Avoiding Plagiarism

When a particular piece of information is taken from other sources, such as a newspaper article, there’s always an immense risk of plagiarism. However, when that source is efficiently cited in MLA, that risk fades away. The plagiarism checkers analyse those citations and don’t consider them plagiarised or paraphrased.

• Highlighting Research Depth

As you know, academic papers are written after comprehensive research, and data is taken from various authentic and reliable sources. Citing those sources in MLA demonstrates that the particular paper was written with immense focus, hard work, and focus. Moreover, it guides readers about different methods of conducting research.

• Building Credibility

Citing newspaper articles in MLA also significantly helps to build the credibility of your academic paper. When you cite different sources in MLA, you efficiently support your arguments and findings. Moreover, when all reliable sources are mentioned in the academic paper, it allows readers to explore them and verify them efficiently.

Frequently Asked Questions