How to cite a newspaper article in APA Style
An APA Style newspaper citation includes the author, the publication date, the headline of the article, and the name of the newspaper in italics.
Print newspaper citations include a page number or range; online newspaper citations include a URL.
Using the buttons below, you can explore the format.
Citing newspaper articles in print
Printed newspapers are sometimes divided into sections, which are identified by a letter before the page number (e.g. A1, B4). Always include the letters when page numbers are formatted in this way.
Newspaper articles may also appear on discontinuous pages (for example, an article which begins on the front page but continues on page 20). Make sure to only cite the relevant pages, separating different pages and page ranges with commas.
| Format | Last name, Initials. (Year, Month Day). Article title. Newspaper Name, pages. |
|---|---|
| Reference entry | Schwartz, J. (1993, September 30). Obesity affects economic, social status. The Washington Post, A1, A4. |
| In-text citation | (Schwartz, 1993) |
Citing online newspaper articles
If you accessed the article on the newspaper’s website, include a URL instead of page numbers.
| Format | Last name, Initials. (Year, Month Day). Article title. Newspaper Name. URL |
|---|---|
| Reference entry | Schwartz, F., & McBride, C. (2019, November 18). Trump administration says Israeli settlements aren’t illegal. The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-administration-to-say-israeli-settlements-arent-illegal-11574104691 |
| In-text citation | (Schwartz & McBride, 2019) |
Online-only news sites
Don’t use the newspaper citation format for articles on news sites, such as Reuters and BBC News, that are not linked to a print newspaper.
Instead, use the format of a website citation. The article title is italicized, and the name of the site is written in plain text.
| Format | Last name, Initials. (Year, Month Day). Article title. Site Name. URL |
|---|---|
| Reference entry | Ahmad, J., & Shalizi, H. (2019, November 19). Taliban frees two Western prisoners, U.S. sees hope for wider Afghan peace. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-afghanistan-taliban/u-s-australian-hostages-freed-by-afghan-taliban-in-swap-idUSKBN1XT0GF |
| In-text citation | (Ahmad & Shalizi, 2019) |
Frequently asked questions about APA newspaper citations
- How do I cite a source with no page numbers in APA Style?
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When you quote or paraphrase a specific passage from a source, you need to indicate the location of the passage in your in-text citation. If there are no page numbers (e.g. when citing a website) but the text is long, you can instead use section headings, paragraph numbers, or a combination of the two:
(Caulfield, 2019, Linking section, para. 1).
Section headings can be shortened if necessary. Kindle location numbers should not be used in ebook citations, as they are unreliable.
If you are referring to the source as a whole, it’s not necessary to include a page number or other marker.
- When should I use “et al.” in APA in-text citations?
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The abbreviation “et al.” (meaning “and others”) is used to shorten in-text citations with three or more authors. Here’s how it works:
Only include the first author’s last name, followed by “et al.”, a comma and the year of publication, for example (Taylor et al., 2018).
- When should I include an access date in an APA citation?
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APA Style usually does not require an access date. You never need to include one when citing journal articles, e-books, or other stable online sources.
However, if you are citing a website or online article that’s designed to change over time, it’s a good idea to include an access date. In this case, write it in the following format at the end of the reference: Retrieved October 19, 2020, from https://www.uva.nl/en/about-the-uva/about-the-university/about-the-university.html
