How to Cite a Newspaper Article in APA 7th Edition
Learn the exact format with examples, in-text citations, and common mistakes to avoid.
Citation Format
Basic Template
Author. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Newspaper Name. URL
Citation Components
Author(s)
Last, First Initial. If no author, start with article title.
Publication Date
Format: (Year, Month Day) in parentheses.
Article Title
Sentence case. Not italicized. No quotation marks in reference list.
Newspaper Name
Italicized. Use official name (The New York Times, The Washington Post, etc.).
URL
Include full URL. Use retrieved URL from news website.
Real-World Example
Example Source
Johnson, K.
2023, December 15
New climate report shows accelerating temperature changes
The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/15/climate
Formatted Citation
Johnson, K. (2023, December 15). New climate report shows accelerating temperature changes. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/15/climate
In-Text Citation
(Johnson, 2023)
(Author, Year) or (Author, Year, paragraph #)
Common Mistakes
Wrong:
Johnson, K. (2023, December 15). 'New Climate Report Shows Accelerating Temperature Changes.' The New York Times.
Right:
Johnson, K. (2023, December 15). New climate report shows accelerating temperature changes. The New York Times. URL
Why: Newspaper article titles use sentence case without quotation marks and must include the URL.
Wrong:
Johnson, K. December 15, 2023. New climate report. New York Times.
Right:
Johnson, K. (2023, December 15). New climate report shows accelerating temperature changes. The New York Times. URL
Why: Date must be in parentheses with (Year, Month Day) format. Always include the full article title and URL.
Wrong:
Johnson, K. (2023). Article title. NYT.
Right:
Johnson, K. (2023, December 15). Article title. The New York Times. URL
Why: Include full publication date with month and day. Use official newspaper name ('The New York Times', not 'NYT'). Must include URL.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I cite a newspaper article without an author? ▼
Start with the article title in place of the author: New climate report shows accelerating temperatures. (2023, December 15). The New York Times. URL
Should I include the page number for a newspaper article? ▼
Newspaper articles are now cited primarily by URL in APA 7th edition. Page numbers were used in earlier editions for print versions.
How do I cite a newspaper article accessed through a database? ▼
Include the URL from the database or the newspaper's website. If only print information is available, cite it with page numbers.
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