How To Cite A Newspaper MLA: Complete 9th Edition Guide

Mastering how to cite a newspaper in MLA style requires structuring your Works Cited entry around nine core container elements, from the author's name to the specific database or URL. Applying the exact formatting rules for print, online, and archival editions ensures academic integrity and prevents costly point deductions on research papers.

Essential Preparation and Standards for Academic Citations

Citing newspapers accurately demands a firm grasp of the Modern Language Association (MLA) Handbook 9th Edition guidelines. Unlike academic journals that rely heavily on volume and issue numbers, newspapers rely on precise publication dates, section identifiers, and specific pagination rules. Precision in punctuation—specifically italicizing publication titles and enclosing article headlines in quotation marks—is the baseline requirement for scholarly compliance.

• Essential Tools and Materials: Access to the original newspaper article, the official MLA Handbook (9th Edition), a digital word processor, and reliable citation management tools for verification.
• Prerequisite Knowledge: Familiarity with core bibliographic elements, the distinction between print and digital publication formats, and the mechanics of hanging indents.
• Time and Resource Requirements: Approximately three to five minutes per citation, requiring zero financial investment beyond standard word processing software and institutional library access.

Step-by-Step Newspaper Citation Workflow

Step 1: Format the Author and Article Title

Begin the Works Cited entry with the author's name in inverted order, starting with the last name followed by a comma, then the first name followed by a period. If the article is unsigned or credited to a news agency or staff writer, omit the author entry and begin directly with the article title. Place the complete title of the article inside quotation marks, capitalizing every major word, and conclude with a period placed immediately inside the closing quotation mark.

Pro-Tip: If an article features a subheadline or subtitle, include it after a colon following the main headline within the same set of quotation marks.

Step 2: Add the Italicized Newspaper Name

Type the title of the newspaper in full, using italics, and follow it immediately with a comma. Drop introductory articles like "The" or "A" from the beginning of well-known national newspapers unless the word is an integral part of the city name or title, such as The New York Times. Ensure no punctuation separates the italicized newspaper name from the chronological data that follows immediately after.

Step 3: Insert the Publication Date and Page Numbers

Provide the exact publication date using the European date format standard favored by the MLA, which lists the day, the month (abbreviated except for May, June, and July), and the four-digit year. Follow the year with a comma, then list the specific page number or page range where the article appears. Use the abbreviation p. for a single page or pp. for a page range, concluding this segment with a period. If the article spans non-consecutive pages, write only the first page number followed by a plus sign (e.g., pp. A4+).

Warning: Online newspaper articles often omit traditional page numbers entirely. If pagination is absent from the digital source, omit the page number element from your citation and proceed directly to the container location.

Step 4: Include the Container URL or Database Information

For articles accessed via the internet, conclude the entry by providing the URL without the preceding protocol prefix (omit http:// or https://), ensuring hyperlinks are clickable if required by your instructor. If you retrieved the newspaper article from an academic database such as ProQuest, JSTOR, or LexisNexis, list the database name in italics as a secondary container, followed by the stable URL or DOI. Conclude the entire entry with a final period.

Comparison of Newspaper Citation Formats

Troubleshooting Common Citation Errors

• Root Cause: Omitting the author's name when an editorial board or staff writer is credited as a collective entity. Actionable Fix: Check the byline carefully. If the article explicitly states "Staff Reports" or "Editorial Board," treat those terms as the author name in the citation. If entirely anonymous, start the entry with the article title.
• Root Cause: Formatting the publication date incorrectly by using numerical formats (e.g., 03/14/2023) or failing to abbreviate the month. Actionable Fix: Strictly apply the MLA date standard of Day Month Year, abbreviating all months with five or more letters by using their standard three-letter abbreviation followed by a period (e.g., Sept., Oct., Nov.).
• Root Cause: Including the full http:// or https:// string in digital URLs, which clutters the Works Cited page. Actionable Fix: Strip the protocol prefix from the URL, keeping only the domain name and path (e.g., www.cnn.com/article), unless your institution specifically mandates live hyperlinks.
• Root Cause: Forgetting to apply a hanging indent to multi-line Works Cited entries. Actionable Fix: Highlight your completed citations in your word processor, open the paragraph formatting menu, and select "Hanging" under the special indentation options to automatically indent all lines after the first.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite an online newspaper article that lacks an author?

Begin the Works Cited entry with the title of the article in quotation marks, followed by the italicized name of the newspaper, the publication date, and the URL. In your parenthetical in-text citation, use a shortened version of the article title in quotation marks along with the page number if available.

Should I include the URL for newspaper articles found online?

Yes, MLA style requires including the URL for online sources when the reader cannot easily access the work otherwise. Omit the http:// or https:// prefix, and ensure the link points directly to the article rather than a generic homepage.

How do I cite a newspaper article accessed through a library database?

List the standard bibliographic information for the article first, followed by the italicized name of the database as a second container. Conclude the citation with the stable URL or DOI provided by the database service.

How do in-text citations look for newspaper articles?

Place the author's last name and the specific page number inside parentheses at the end of the sentence, such as (Smith A4). If the article has no author, use a shortened version of the article title in quotation marks instead of the name.

Do I need to include the city of publication in the newspaper title?

Only include the city of publication in square brackets immediately following the italicized newspaper name if the city is not part of the publication's official title and the paper might be confused with another similarly named regional publication (e.g., The Herald [Glasgow]).

Perfect Your Academic Research Papers Today

Mastering citation mechanics ensures your research maintains unassailable academic credibility and adheres strictly to MLA 9th edition guidelines. Apply these precise formatting standards to your Works Cited page today to elevate the professionalism of your writing.