how to quote a newspaper article in an essay

APA Citation Style, 7th edition: Newspaper Article

• General Style Guidelines
• One Author or Editor
• Two Authors or Editors
• Three to Five Authors or Editors
• Article or Chapter in an Edited Book
• Article in a Reference Book
• Edition other than the First
• Translation
• Government Publication
• Journal Article with 1 Author
• Journal Article with 2 Authors
• Journal Article with 3–20 Authors
• Journal Article 21 or more Authors
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• Basic Web Page
• Web page from a University site
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Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

What is a DOI? A DOI ( digital object identifier ) is a unique alphanumeric string assigned by a registration agency (the International DOI Foundation) to identify content and provide a persistent link to its location on the internet. 

NOTE: It is regarded as the most important part of the citation because it will accurately direct users to the specific article.

Think of it as a "digital fingerprint" or an article's DNA!

The rules for DOIs have been updated in the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. They should be included as URLs, rather than just the alphanumeric string.

Correct:  

• http://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-12-114
• http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-12-114

Incorrect:     

• doi: 10.1186/1471-2288-12-114
• Retrieved from http://doi:10.1186/1471-2288-12-114
• FREE DOI Look-up (Cross-Ref)
• DOI System: FAQ
• Looking up a DOI
• DOI Flowchart

Newspaper Article (pp. 200-201)

General Format

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase): 

(Author Surname, Year)

In-Text Citation (Quotation):

(Author Surname, Year, page number)

References:

Author Surname, First Initial. Second Initial. (Year, Month Day). Article title: Subtitle. Newspaper Title, page range. URL [if viewed online]

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):

(Wallace, 2007)

(Wallace, 2007, p. A8)

Wallace, K. (2007, December 4). Passport applicant finds massive privacy breach. The Globe and Mail , pp. A1, A8.

(Severson & Martin, 2009)

In-Text Citation (Quotation:

Severson, K. &, Martin, A. (2009, March 3). It's organic, but does that mean it's safer? The New York Times . http://www.nytimes.com

Subject Guide

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MLA Citation Guide (MLA 9th Edition): Newspaper Articles

• Understanding Core Elements
• Formatting Appendices and Works Cited List
• Writing an Annotated Bibliography
• Academic Honesty and Citation
• In-Text Citation
• Charts, Graphs, Images, and Tables
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• Interviews and Emails
• Journal and Magazine Articles
• Newspaper Articles
• Social Media
• Special Collections
• Videos and DVDs
• When Information Is Missing
• Citation Software

What if an author is not listed?

Begin the newspaper article citation with the title of the article if the author's name is not listed. For the in-text citation, list the first word or first few words of the title (excluding a, an, the).

Newspaper Article in Print

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Newspaper, Date of Publication, p. Page number. 

Cook, Lorne. "EU Warns 3 Nations of Legal Action."  San Francisco Chronicle,  14 June 2017, p. A4+. 

Note:   If the article appears on non-consecutive pages (e.g., the article starts on page 4 then continues on page 12), write the first page number and a plus (+) sign. E.g., 4

Newspaper Article from a Website

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of New Publication , Date of Publication, URL.

Litz, Sarah. "All the Fires: What You Need to Know on Size, Containment."  Reno Gazette-Journal , 12 July 2017, www.rgj.com/story/news/2017/07/12/farad-fire-updates-size-containment-hills-burn-west-verdi/471293001/.

  Note: This entry has no page numbers, so this information is left out of the citation.

Newspaper Article from a Library Database

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Newspaper [city of newspaper if city name not in name], Date of Publication, p. Page number if given. Name of Database, Permalink URL. 

Russolillo, Steven. "Why the Housing Market is Getting Stronger: New-home Sales and Quarterly Results from Toll Brothers this Week Should Bolster the Housing Market's Solid Fundamentals."  Wall Street Journal , 22 May 2016.  ProQuest,  unr.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1790256212?accountid=452. 

 Note : If an article title ends with a question mark or exclamation mark, you do not need to add a period to the end of the title. 

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / APA Format / How to Cite a Newspaper Article in APA

How to Cite a Newspaper Article in APA

Newspapers can be an excellent source of information, as they are published daily and can illustrate emerging events in specific communities. This guide covers how to cite a newspaper according to APA 7.

Newspaper: A daily or weekly publication that contains news; often featuring articles on political events, crime, business, art, entertainment, society, and sports.

Guide Overview

This guide includes the following sections:

How to cite a newspaper article in print

How to cite a newspaper article found online, how to cite a newspaper article with two authors, how to cite a newspaper article with three or more authors, what you need, troubleshooting, in-text citation structures:.

(Author last name, Year published)

Author last name (Year published)

In-text citation examples

(Bowman, 1990)

Bowman (1990)

View Screenshot

Note:  If the article is printed on discontinuous pages, list all of the page numbers/ranges and separate them with a comma. (e.g., pp. C2, C4, C7-9.)

In-text citation structure:

In-text citation examples:.

(Kaplan, 2013)

Kaplan (2013)

When you use a bibliography tool like EasyBib to help you with your citations, make sure you are citing a newspaper article – not a website!

(Hermann & Brice-Saddler, 2022)

Hermann and Brice-Saddler (2022)

(Dixon et al., 2022)

Dixon et al. (2022)

Updated November 3, 2020.

APA Formatting Guide

APA Formatting

• Annotated Bibliography
• Block Quotes
• et al Usage
• In-text Citations
• Multiple Authors
• Paraphrasing
• Page Numbers
• Parenthetical Citations
• Reference Page
• Sample Paper
• APA 7 Updates
• View APA Guide

Citation Examples

• Book Chapter
• Journal Article
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• Website (no author)
• View all APA Examples

To cite a newspaper article in APA format, you should have the following information:

• (Year, Month day).
• Article title (in sentence case).
• Newspaper Name.

Solution #1: What to include in the citation information

• You do not need to include retrieval information (e.g., date of access) in APA citations for electronic resources.
• If you found a newspaper article through an online database (e.g., EBSCO’s Academic Search Complete), you do not need to include that information in the citation, either.
• If a URL runs across multiple lines of text in the citation, break the URL off before punctuation (e.g., periods, forward slashes) – except https://.

Solution #2: Online newspaper article vs. Online news site article

If you’re citing an online article, first determine if you are citing an article from a newspaper OR an article from a news site. APA style has a slightly different format for each.

• YES –> Cite it as a newspaper article.
• NO –> Cite it as a web page or a news site article .
• NO –> Cite it as a web page or news site article .

The rest of this guide gives reference structures and examples for newspaper articles.

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To cite a newspaper in APA style, you need to have basic information including the author name, article title, newspaper title, date of publication, and page numbers. The templates for in-text citation and reference list entry of a newspaper and examples are given below:

In-text citation template and example:

Author Surname (Publication Year, Page Number)

Canton (2021, p. A1)

Parenthetical:

(Author Surname, Publication Year, Page Number)

(Canton, 2021, p. A1)

Reference list entry template and example:

Surname, F. M. (Date of publication). Title of the article. Title of the Newspaper , Page numbers.

Canton. N. (2021, August 5). Covid-19: India to be removed from UK ‘Red’ travel list on August 8. The Times of India , A1.

Give the exact date of publication of the news in Year, Month Day format. The newspaper title is italicized. The title of the articles is set in sentence case; however, capitalize the first word after a colon.

To cite an online newspaper in APA style, you need to have basic information including the author name, article title, newspaper title, date of publication, and URL. The templates for in-text citations and a reference list entry of an online newspaper and examples are given below:

Author Surname (Year)

Belluck (2021)

(Author Surname, Year)

(Belluck, 2021)

Surname, F. M. (Date of publication). Title of the article. Title of the Newspaper . URL

Belluck, P. (2021, August 8). ‘This is really scary’: Kids struggle with long covid. The New York Times . https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/08/health/long-covid-kids.html?searchResultPosition=3

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How to Cite a Newspaper Article

Last Updated: April 21, 2023

This article was reviewed by Gerald Posner and by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD . Gerald Posner is an Author & Journalist based in Miami, Florida. With over 35 years of experience, he specializes in investigative journalism, nonfiction books, and editorials. He holds a law degree from UC College of the Law, San Francisco, and a BA in Political Science from the University of California-Berkeley. He’s the author of thirteen books, including several New York Times bestsellers, the winner of the Florida Book Award for General Nonfiction, and has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History. He was also shortlisted for the Best Business Book of 2020 by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. This article has been viewed 95,392 times.

Whether you're writing a paper for a school assignment or creating a presentation, you may want to use a newspaper article as a source. Generally, newspaper articles are cited differently than books or articles in scholarly journals. The format of the citation varies slightly among Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), and Chicago citation styles. Your citation also may differ if you're citing the article from the newspaper's website, rather than from the print version.

Sample Citations

• Example: Kent, Clark.
• If there's no author, skip to the next element in the citation.

• Example: Kent, Clark. "Villains Take Over Gotham; Superman Stays Away."

• If you include the city in brackets, it isn't italicized.
• Example: Kent, Clark. "Villains Take Over Gotham; Superman Stays Away." The Daily Planet [Metropolis],

• Example: Kent, Clark. "Villains Take Over Gotham; Superman Stays Away." The Daily Planet [Metropolis], 17 July 2017, p. A1.
• If the article appears online without a page number, simply place a period after the date of publication.

• Database example: Kent, Clark. "Villains Take Over Gotham; Superman Stays Away." The Daily Planet [Metropolis], 17 July 2017, p. A1. DC News.
• URL example: Kent, Clark. "Villains Take Over Gotham; Superman Stays Away." The Daily Planet [Metropolis], 17 July 2017, p. A1. www.dailyplanet.com/superman_spurns_gotham.

• Example: (Kent, A1)
• If there's no author listed, place the first word or words of the title in quotation marks for your parenthetical. If there's no page number, simply leave that part out.

• Example: Clark, K.
• If the article has no author, start your bibliographic entry with the title of the article in sentence-case. Capitalize only the initial word and any proper nouns.

• Example: Clark, K. (2017, July 17).
• For articles with no author, put the date in parentheses after the title of the article.

• Example: Clark, K. (2017, July 17). Villains take over Gotham; Superman stays away.

• Example: Clark, K. (2017, July 17). Villains take over Gotham; Superman stays away. The Daily Planet , p. A1.

• Database example: Villains take over Gotham; Superman stays away. The Daily Planet , p. A1. Retrieved from Collected DC News.
• URL example: Villains take over Gotham; Superman stays away. The Daily Planet , p. A1. Retrieved from http://www.dailyplanet.com

• Paraphrase example: (Kent, 2017)
• Direct quote example: (Kent, 2017, p. A1)

• If no author is listed, start with the name of the newspaper in italics, followed by a comma. For example: The Daily Planet ,

• Example: Kent, Clark. "Villains Take Over Gotham; Superman Stays Away." The Daily Planet .

• Example: Kent, Clark. "Villains Take Over Gotham; Superman Stays Away." The Daily Planet . July 17, 2017.

• Example: Kent, Clark. "Villains Take Over Gotham; Superman Stays Away." The Daily Planet . July 17, 2017. www.dailyplanet.com/superman_spurns_gotham (accessed July 19, 2017).

• Example: Clark Kent, "Villains Take Over Gotham; Superman Stays Away," The Daily Planet , July 17, 2017. www.dailyplanet.com/superman_spurns_gotham (accessed July 19, 2017).
• After citing the article in a footnote once in your paper, use a shortened form in subsequent footnotes. The shortened form is the author's last name followed by a shortened version of the title in quotation marks. For example: Kent, "Villains Take Over."

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About this article

To cite a newspaper article in MLA format, start by writing the author’s last and first name, separated by a comma. Next, add the title of the article, ending with a period, and put the entire title in quotation marks. Then, include the name of the newspaper in italics and place a comma after it. If the city isn’t part of the newspaper’s name, put it in brackets before the comma. After the comma, write the date of publication and the page number. Additionally, for articles found online, provide a link to the article, starting with “ http://“ and ending with a period. To learn how to cite a newspaper article in other formats, such as APA style or Chicago style, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Using Sources Correctly

Crediting and Citing Your Sources

Now that you’ve just summarized or paraphrased or directly quoted a source, is there anything else you need to do with that source? Well, it turns out there is. There are some standard ways of using sources that let your readers know this material is from other texts rather than original ideas from your own brain. Following these guidelines also allows us, your readers, to locate those sources if we are interested in the topic and would like to know more about what they say.

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Giving credit to the sources you used creating a text is important (and useful!) for several reasons.

• It adds to your own credibility as an author by showing you have done appropriate research on your topic and approached your work ethically.
• It gives credit to the original author and their work for the ideas you found to be useful, and in giving them credit it helps you avoid unintentionally plagiarizing their work.
• It gives your readers additional resources (already curated by you in your research process!) that they can go to if they want to read further your topic.

What Does It Mean to Credit or Cite Your Sources?

For college-level work, this generally means two things: in-text or parenthetical citation and a “Works Cited” or “References” page. What these two things look like will be a little different for different types of classes (for example, it’s likely your writing class will use MLA—Modern Language Association—format, while a psychology class is more likely to use APA—American Psychological Association—format). The specific details required and the order in which they appear changes a little between different formats, but practicing one of them will give you a general idea of what most of them are looking for. All of the information we are looking at here is specific to MLA, which is the format you will use for your writing classes (and some other humanities classes).

Citing: Identifying In-Text Sources

Once you have brought source material into your writing (via quotation, summary, or paraphrase), your next task is to cite or identify it. This is essential because giving credit to the creator of the source material helps you avoid plagiarism. Identifying your sources also helps your reader understand which written content is from a source and which represents your ideas.

When you cite or identify source materials, you make it absolutely clear that the material was taken from a source. Note that if you don’t do that, your reader is left to assume the words are yours—and since that isn’t true, you will have committed plagiarism.

In-Text Citation

Every time you use an idea or language from a source in your text (so every time you summarize, paraphrase, or directly quote material from a source), you will want to add an in-text citation. Sometimes you can accomplish this simply by mentioning the author or title of a source in the body of your writing, but other times you’ll handle in-text citation differently, with a parenthetical citation. Parenthetical means that the citation appears in parentheses in the text of your essay.

A starting point for parenthetical citations is that they include the author’s last name and the page number where the borrowed information came from. For example, let’s say I’m using material from an article written by Lisa Smith. It’s in a physical magazine and spans pages 38-42. If, on page 41, she says something like, “While most studies have shown that Expo dry erase markers have superior lasting power, erasability, and color saturation than other brands on the market, their higher cost is a concern for some consumers,” I might incorporate that into a paper like this:

By most measurable standards, Expo markers are clearly the favored option (Smith 41).

However, you don’t always need both components (last name and page number) in the parenthetical citation. If I introduced the source material in the sentence above a little differently, introducing the author before delivering the material, I wouldn’t need to repeat the author’s name in that same sentence in the parenthetical citation. In that case, my sentence would look something like this: According to Lisa Smith, Expo markers are clearly the favored option by most measurable standards (41).

In this section, we’ll discuss three ways to cite or identify written source materials in your own writing.

1. Introduce the Author and/or the Title of the Source

By introducing the author or the material, you make it clear to the reader that what you’re talking about is from a source. Here’s an example of a quotation that is identified by introducing the author and the title of source (which are highlighted):

In the article, “Grooming Poodles for Fun and Profit,” Jonas Fogbottom explains , “Poodle grooming is a labor of love. It takes years of practice to be good at it, but once learned, it’s a fun and worthwhile career.”

Here’s an example of a paraphrase that is identified in the same way:

In the article, “Grooming Poodles for Fun and Profit,” Jonas Fogbottom says that although it takes a long time to become a skilled poodle groomer, it’s well worth the effort and leads to a good career.

Note that, in the example above, (1) if there are no page numbers to cite and (2) if the name of the author is signaled in the phrase that introduces the bit of source material, then there is no need for the parenthetical citation. This is an example of a situation where mentioning the author by name is the only in-text citation you’ll need. And sometimes, if the name of the author is unknown, then you might just mention the title of the article instead. It will be up to you, as a writer, to choose which method works best for your given situation.

The first time that you mention a source in your writing, you should always introduce the speaker and, if possible, the title of the source as well. Note that the speaker is the person responsible for stating the information that you’re citing and that this is not always the author of the text. For example, an author of an article might quote someone else, and you might quote or paraphrase that person.

Use the speaker’s full name (e.g. “According to Jonas Fogbottom . . .”) the first time you introduce them; if you mention them again in the paper, use their last name only (e.g. “Fogbottom goes on to discuss . . .”).

2. Use Linking or Attributive Language

Using linking language (sometimes called attributive language or signal phrases) simply means using words that show the reader you are still talking about a source that you just mentioned.

For example, you might use linking language that looks something like this:

• The author also explains . . .
• Fogbottom continues . . .
• The article goes on to say . . .
• The data set also demonstrates . . .

By using this kind of language, you make it clear to the reader that you’re still talking about a source. And while you’ll use this type of language throughout any researched essay whether you’re also using parenthetical citations or not, as we mentioned above, sometimes this linking language will be all you need for in-text citation.

Let’s look back at the last Fogbottom example from above, and imagine you wanted to add two more sentences from the same source. The linking language is highlighted :

In the article, “Grooming Poodles for Fun and Profit,” Jonas Fogbottom says that although it takes a long time to become a skilled poodle groomer, it’s well worth the effort and leads to a good career. Fogbottom goes on to explain how one is trained in the art of dog and poodle grooming. The article also gives a set of resources for people who want to know more about a dog grooming career.

Using the linking language makes it absolutely clear to your reader that you are still talking about a source.

3. Use a Parenthetical Citation

A parenthetical citation is a citation enclosed within parentheses.

The classic parenthetical citation includes the author’s name and, if there is one, a page number. To learn more about parenthetical citation and see some examples, see the Purdue OWL article on “ MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics ” (available from owl.english.purdue.edu).

Here’s an example :

(Fogbottom 16)

If there are two authors , list both (with a page number, if available):

(Smith and Jones 24)

If there are three or more authors , list the first author only and add “et al.”* (with a page number, if available):

(Smith et al. 62)

* et al means “and others.” If a text or source has three or more authors, MLA style has us just list the first one with et al .

But my source doesn’t have page numbers!

If you are using an electronic source or another kind of source with no page numbers, just leave the page number out:

(Fogbottom)

If you’re quoting or paraphrasing someone who was cited by the author of one of your sources , then that’s handled a bit differently. For example, what if you quote Smith, but you found that quote in the article by Fogbottom. In this case, you should introduce the speaker (Smith) as described above, and then cite the source for the quote, like this:

(qtd. in Fogbottom)

But my source doesn’t have an author!

This happens sometimes. Many useful documents, like government publications, organizational reports, and surveys, don’t list their authors. On the other hand, sometimes no clearly listed author can be a red flag that a source is not entirely trustworthy or is not researched well enough to be a reliable source for you.

If you encounter a source with no author, do look for other indicators that it is a good (or poor) source—who published it, does it have an appropriate list of references, is it current information, is it unbiased?

If you determine that this source is an appropriate source to use, then, when you create your in-text citation for it, you will simply use the title of the source (article, chapter, graph, film, etc.) in the place where you would have used the author’s name. If the title is long, you should abbreviate by listing the first one or two words of it (with a page number, if available).

Let’s imagine you’re working with a newspaper article entitled, “What’s New in Technology,” enclosed in quotation marks to indicate that this is an article title, and with no known author . Here’s what that would look in a parenthetical citation:

(“What’s New” B6)

If there is no author and you’re working with an electronic article, use the first one or two words in your parenthetical citation, again, enclosed in quotation marks. Let’s imagine you’re working with a web article entitled, “Pie Baking for Fun and Profit” and with no author. Here’s what that would look in a parenthetical citation:

(“Pie Baking”)

The parenthetical citation should be added at the end of the sentence that contains the source material. Let’s go back to the Fogbottom example and see how a parenthetical citation would work:

“Poodle grooming is a labor of love. It takes years of practice to be good at it, but once learned, it’s a fun and worthwhile career” (Fogbottom).

Here’s what it would look like if we used it with a paraphrase instead of a quotation:

Although it takes a long time to become a skilled poodle groomer, it’s well worth the effort and leads to a good career (Fogbottom).

Note that the citation is placed at the end of the sentence; the period comes after the parentheses. Misplacing the period is one of the most common formatting errors made by students.

Using parenthetical citation makes it crystal clear that a sentence comes from source material. This is, by far, the easiest way to cite or identify your source materials, too.

If using parenthetical citations is easy, why would we bother with using introduction or linking language to identify sources?

Good question! There would be nothing wrong with only using parenthetical citations all the way through your writing—it would absolutely do the job of citing the material. But, it wouldn’t read smoothly and would feel somewhat rough because every time a parenthetical citation popped up, the reader would be “stopped” in place for a moment. Using a combination of introduction, linking language, and parenthetical citation, as needed, makes the writing smoother and easier to read. It also integrates the source material with the writer’s ideas. We call this synthesis, and it’s part of the craft of writing.

Works Cited Entries

At the end of texts that have drawn from existing sources, you will often find a Works Cited page. This page gives more information than the parenthetical citations do about what kinds of sources were referenced in this work and where they can be found if the reader would like to know more about them. These entries all follow a specific and consistent format so that it is easy for readers to find the information they are looking for and so the shape and type of that information is consistent no matter who is writing the entries.

Until recently, the MLA required a slightly different format for every type of source—an entry for a Youtube video required certain information that was different from an entry for a book that was different from an entry for an online article. The most recent version of MLA, though—MLA 8—has simplified this so there is just one format rather than many.

You can learn how to create works cited entries in MLA 8 format, and see an example, in the “ Creating a Works Cited Page ” appendix to this text.

The Word on College Reading and Writing Copyright © by Carol Burnell, Jaime Wood, Monique Babin, Susan Pesznecker, and Nicole Rosevear is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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• Writing Tips

Harvard Referencing – How to Cite a Newspaper Article

2-minute read

• 27th July 2016

Newspapers and magazines aren’t the most common sources in academic writing . Nevertheless, you may need to cite a magazine or newspaper article when writing about something that has been in the media (or when analysing the media itself). As such, we’re looking at how to cite a newspaper article or magazine in Harvard referencing.

In-Text Citations

As with most source types, Harvard referencing uses a standard author–date format for in-text citations of magazines and newspapers.

The important thing here is to check whether the article has a named author. If it does, use the author’s name in your citation alongside the year of publication. If it’s a print version of the article and you’re quoting it directly, you should also provide relevant page numbers:

Leicester’s season was ‘hailed as a sporting miracle’ (Wagg, 2016, p. 20).

If the article has no named author, simply use the newspaper/magazine’s name instead:

A Yorkshire terrier called Eddie was reunited with his owners after being missing for five years, despite living only half a mile away (The Guardian, 2016).

As you can see, we’ve picked the most hard-hitting news story we could find to use as an example in this post.

Reference List

If you’ve cited a print version of a magazine or newspaper article, the information required in the reference list is as follows (if no author is named, as above, use the magazine/newspaper title):

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Surname, Initial(s). (Year) ‘Title of Article’, Title of Newspaper/Magazine , issue number (if applicable), day and/or month of publication, page number(s).

The Wagg article in the example above would therefore appear as:

Wagg, S. (2016) ‘Under No Illusions’, When Saturday Comes , 352, June, pp. 20-21.

For online articles, the format is similar but with a URL and date of access given in place of page numbers:

Surname, Initial(s). (Year) ‘Title of Article’, Title of Newspaper/Magazine , issue number (if applicable), day and/or month of publication [Online]. Available at URL [Accessed date].

The Guardian article above would therefore appear in the reference list as:

The Guardian (2016) ‘Missing dog found half a mile from owners’ home after five years’, The Guardian , 20 May [Online]. Available at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/may/20/missing-dog-found-five-years-yorkshire-terrier-eddie-microchip [Accessed 24 June 2016].

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How To Do In-Text Citations in MLA Format: A Quick Guide for Students

An in-text citation is a reference to information originating from another source. In-text citations must be used when you summarize, quote, paraphrase or refer to another source within a written document, such as academic literature. 

In-text citations are essential in academic writing. Without them, how would readers verify the information is reliable and accurate? Trustworthy authors include their sources for verifiable information rather than opinions so readers know where the evidence for claims can be explored further.

The Modern Language Association manages MLA style standards with the purpose to “strengthen the study and teaching of language and literature” and standardize how information sources are credited in scholarly writing. Not only does the MLA recommend proper citation format, but it also suggests proper general formatting, including document spacing, margins and font size.

As you begin authoring scholarly works, you’ll find the need to credit sources. Use this quick guide to learn how to do in-text citations in MLA format.

What is MLA format?

How to do in-text citations in mla, how to do a works cited page in mla, common challenges and solutions, tips for effective in-text citations.

MLA citation style is a system for crediting sources in scholarly writing and has been widely used in classrooms, journals and the press since 1931. What began with a three-page style sheet for the MLA’s scholarly journal became a uniform writing style preferred by academics and the editorial media everywhere.

Since its inception, the in-text citation style has changed from a recommended combination of footnotes and in-text citations in MLA format. The 1951 style guide suggested : “If the reference is brief, insert it, within parentheses, in the text itself . . . ; if it is lengthy, put it in a [foot]note.” As technology and society changed, so did the MLA style. In 1995, the document added recommendations for citing CD-ROMs and online databases. In 2016, the MLA published one of the most modern versions of the MLA Handbook , wherein in-text citations in MLA style should now be written according to a template of core elements.

The modern-day components of an in-text citation in MLA format, as of the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook , include:

• Author’s name
• Page numbers (if applicable)

These short in-text citations serve as references to a Works Cited list, which should follow a written piece of work and list all sources used in detail.

Authors who correctly use in-text citations in MLA style will prove their credibility, integrity and responsibility to share accurate and reliable information and simultaneously protect themselves from stealing sources and ideas from other writers, also known as plagiarism. Plagiarism is a severe offense , and many institutions have strict rules against the practice .

Now that you understand the importance of citations let’s review how to use in-text citations in MLA style. When referring to another author’s work in your own written text, you must use parenthetical citations, including the source in parentheses within the sentence that refers to the work. 

If a source does not have page numbers, use another numbering system, such as chapters, sections, scenes or articles that are explicitly numbered. If there are no numbered divisions within the work, simply cite the author’s name.

The basic format for in-text citations in MLA writings is as follows:

• The pail of water was at the top of the hill, which Jack and Jill decided to climb (Mother Goose 1) .

If including a direct quote from a source, enclose the entire quote within quotation marks to avoid confusing the reader. The in-text citation should fall outside the quotation marks at the end of the sentence before the sentence’s period. Paraphrased information does not need quotation marks but does need proper in-text citation.

It should be noted that any information included in your in-text citations must refer to the source information on the Works Cited page listed at the end of your document.

If you’re wondering how to list the references on the Works Cited page, the format varies depending on the type, such as a book or a website.

How to cite a book in MLA

• Author last name, first name. Title. Publisher, year.

How to cite an article in MLA

• Author last name, first name. “Article title.” Publication, volume/issue, publication month. Year, page numbers. Database, reference URL.

How to cite a website in MLA

• Author last name, first name. “Title.” Publication, publication month. Year, web page URL.

While constructing your paper, you may encounter a few citation challenges, such as a source with multiple authors or no known author. Though this can be confusing, this is how to use in-text citations in MLA style for challenging situations.

How to cite multiple authors in MLA

To write an in-text citation in MLA format for a source with multiple authors , simply list each author’s last name before the page number. Sources with more than two authors should cite the first author, followed by “et al.” For example:

• 2 authors: (Hall and Oates 1)
• 3+ authors: (Hall et al. 1)

How to cite sources with no author in MLA

Sources with no author must match the first listed element within its Works Cited entry. For example:

• In-text citation: (Baa, Baa, Black Sheep 0:15)
• Works Cited entry: “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep.” Spotify . https://open.spotify.com/track/1Zpe8ef70Wx20Bu2mLdXc1?si=7TlgCyj1SYmP6K-uy4isuQ

How to cite indirect or secondary sources in MLA

A secondary source is a publication that provides second-hand information from other researchers. You may use secondary sources in your research, though it’s best practice to search for the primary source that supplied the first-hand information, so cite it directly.

If you don’t have access to the original source, include the original author and the author of the secondary source , with the abbreviation “qtd. in” indicating where you accessed the secondary quote. “Qtd. in” stands for “quoted in.” For example:

• (qtd. in Baa, Baa, Black Sheep 0:15)

Using et al. in MLA citations

As described above, et al. is used instead of listing all names of three or more authors, editors or contributors within your citations. It can also cite collections of essays, stories or poems with three or more contributors. When using et al., you should always use the last name of the first writer listed on the source. For example:

• (Earth et al. “September” 0:15)
• Contributors: Earth, Wind and Fire

The most crucial part of in-text citations in MLA style is to keep a consistent and accurate format within the entire body of work. Always use the same punctuation within the in-text citations and the same formatting for sources of the same type. Ensure that double-checking citations is part of your overall proofreading process. All citations, like the written work, should be precise and error-free.

Various tools exist to help you collect and manage your sources and citations. Popular tools include Zotero , EndNote and RefWorks . These tools can create citations for you and keep track of your research documents so you can reference them again if needed. It’s wise to track your sources as they’re included in your writing rather than compiling and citing them when finished.

More resources for writing in MLA format

For the most up-to-date in-text citation information, refer to the MLA Handbook , which can be found online, in bookstores and libraries. The most recent edition of the MLA Handbook is the 9th edition, published in spring 2021.

The MLA also operates the MLA Handbook Plus , a subscription-based digital platform that offers all of the content included in the print edition, plus annual updates and valuable resources, and can be accessed anywhere, whether you’re traveling, at home or in the classroom.

The MLA Style Center offers free online sources on the official MLA style, including templates, questions and answers and advice.

Furman University offers trained consultants for students on campus to provide one-on-one or small-group assistance for writing projects at the Writing & Media Lab (WML). You can make an appointment with a WML Consultant or stop by the James B. Duke Library in the Center for Academic Success (room 002) for on-demand help (subject to scheduling).

The Writing & Media Lab can help with many tasks related to student writing and multimedia projects, including:

• Brainstorming a paper or project
• Outlining your ideas
• Reading through your writing
• Creating a presentation or poster
• Helping you practice your presentation
• Planning a video or podcast
• Revising, proofreading, or editing

Mastering the art of in-text citations in MLA format will ensure that you, as an academic author, will portray yourself as a serious, responsible and factual writer who uses accurate and reliable sources.

The perspectives and thoughts shared in the Furman Blog belong solely to the author and may not align with the official stance or policies of Furman University. All referenced sources were accurate as of the date of publication.

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How to Use Quotation Marks in News Articles

Last Updated: February 22, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Emily Listmann, MA . Emily Listmann is a private tutor in San Carlos, California. She has worked as a Social Studies Teacher, Curriculum Coordinator, and an SAT Prep Teacher. She received her MA in Education from the Stanford Graduate School of Education in 2014. There are 13 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 187,236 times.

Journalists need to know when to use quotation marks. The most common situation in which you’ll use quotation marks in a news article is when reporting someone’s speech. However, you could also use quotation marks when indicating the title of a creative work like a film or book title. Always obey your specific publication’s editorial policy when utilizing quotation marks in your articles.

Using Quotation Marks With Other Punctuation

• For example, don’t write: “The attorney asked me “Do you want to take the deal?”” Jenson said.
• A correct use of quotation marks in that sentence would read: “The attorney asked me, ‘Do you want to take the deal?’” Jenson said.

• For instance, you might want to quote Bono as saying, “I think he is someone who really cares about the production value.” Bono said this in conversation about his bandmate, The Edge. When you publish the quote, you could adjust it to read, “I think [U2 guitarist The Edge] is someone who really cares about the production value.” In this way, you can use quotes that would otherwise not make sense if quoted directly word-for-word.
• Alternately, you could leave the original pronoun in the quote, and write “I think he [U2 guitarist The Edge] is someone who really cares about the production value.”
• Do not substitute parentheses for brackets, as this indicates that the information in the parentheses was said by the speaker of the quote, rather than added by you.

Quoting People

• Never alter quotes.

• Provide at least a full paragraph of explanatory text before introducing quotes from the main actors involved in the story.
• If you intend to use quotes at all in your story, introduce them in the third or fourth paragraph.
• One exception is when writing longer feature articles in a news magazine or, less commonly, in a newspaper.

• “Our forces are spread thin,” Commander Jones said. “Though the enemy is concentrated in the north, they are massing additional forces in the east, and their allies are gathering strength in the west.”

• In the case of unusual phrases or language, partial quotes are acceptable. For instance: Senator Michaels was “bowled over” by the response to his legislation. This vocabulary choice is unusual and may indicate something about Senator Michaels’ personality.

• For instance, suppose you write the following sentence: Candidate X is a “dirty communist” and is unfit to hold office. Assuming Candidate X is not a communist, you could be sued for utilizing defamatory speech, even though you enclosed “dirty communist” in quotation marks.

Adjusting Material Within Quotation Marks

• For instance, you could write: “Unscrew yourself from yourself! (Relax and don’t worry!)”
• Explanation might also be needed to clarify the referent of a given quote. For example, if a politician says, “They are way too high,” you could revise the quote for added clarity by writing, “[Taxes] are way too high.” The brackets indicate you’ve inserted the word “taxes” in place of the speaker’s original word choice.

• Be very careful when using an ellipsis to remove words from a quotation. Always stay true to the speaker’s original intention.

Indicating Titles

• Other literary names and titles -- including poems, articles, chapter titles, and plays -- should likewise be surrounded by quotation marks. “Romeo and Juliet” and “Howl,” for instance, are the correct ways to refer to those works.

Common Questions: Adding Quotes to News Articles

How do you paraphrase a quote in journalism?

Make sure that you’re conveying the message of the original quote when you paraphrase it. If the quote is too difficult to paraphrase, leave it out of the article. [13] X Research source

How do you introduce a quote in journalism?

Mention the quote’s speaker at the beginning of a long quotation. You can also credit the speaker in the middle of a sentence if there’s a comfortable space to do so. Be sure to always credit the sources of your quotes, even if they’re coming from a secondhand source. [14] X Research source

Can you start a news article with a quote?

No, this isn’t a good idea. While quotes add important context and clarity to a news story, they aren’t meant to go at the very beginning. [15] X Research source Focus on answering the reader’s key questions at the start of the article instead, like who/what/where/when/why/how. [16] X Research source

• ↑ https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/punctuation/rules-for-using-single-quotation-marks.html
• ↑ https://www.stylemanual.gov.au/grammar-punctuation-and-conventions/punctuation/quotation-marks
• ↑ https://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/journalism1/journalism-quotes/
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/punctuation/quotation_marks/extended_rules_for_quotation_marks.html
• ↑ https://www.mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/997/libel-and-slander
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/quotations/
• ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=9HGwuFAGYLQC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA73#v=onepage&q&f=false
• ↑ https://stlcc.edu/student-support/academic-success-and-tutoring/writing-center/writing-resources/quotations-ellipsis-marks-research.aspx
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/punctuation/quotation_marks/quotation_marks_with_fiction.html
• ↑ https://www.ap.org/about/news-values-and-principles/telling-the-story/quotations
• ↑ http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/journalism/quotes.html
• ↑ https://www.thenewsmanual.net/Manuals%20Volume%201/volume1_08.htm
• ↑ https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zpmq9qt/revision/2
• Use quotes if someone’s words are particularly powerful or eloquent or to show what someone did or said. If the information is basic or general, you can paraphrase it instead. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• If you are using a source that quotes or refers to another source, you should track down and cite the original source. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Journalistic quotes always use the word "said" when reporting what was said. Avoid verbs like explained, replied, or remarked. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

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Amanda Hoover

Students Are Likely Writing Millions of Papers With AI

Students have submitted more than 22 million papers that may have used generative AI in the past year, new data released by plagiarism detection company Turnitin shows.

A year ago, Turnitin rolled out an AI writing detection tool that was trained on its trove of papers written by students as well as other AI-generated texts. Since then, more than 200 million papers have been reviewed by the detector, predominantly written by high school and college students. Turnitin found that 11 percent may contain AI-written language in 20 percent of its content, with 3 percent of the total papers reviewed getting flagged for having 80 percent or more AI writing. (Turnitin is owned by Advance, which also owns Condé Nast, publisher of WIRED.) Turnitin says its detector has a false positive rate of less than 1 percent when analyzing full documents.

ChatGPT’s launch was met with knee-jerk fears that the English class essay would die . The chatbot can synthesize information and distill it near-instantly—but that doesn’t mean it always gets it right. Generative AI has been known to hallucinate , creating its own facts and citing academic references that don’t actually exist. Generative AI chatbots have also been caught spitting out biased text on gender and race . Despite those flaws, students have used chatbots for research, organizing ideas, and as a ghostwriter . Traces of chatbots have even been found in peer-reviewed, published academic writing .

Teachers understandably want to hold students accountable for using generative AI without permission or disclosure. But that requires a reliable way to prove AI was used in a given assignment. Instructors have tried at times to find their own solutions to detecting AI in writing, using messy, untested methods to enforce rules , and distressing students. Further complicating the issue, some teachers are even using generative AI in their grading processes.

Detecting the use of gen AI is tricky. It’s not as easy as flagging plagiarism, because generated text is still original text. Plus, there’s nuance to how students use gen AI; some may ask chatbots to write their papers for them in large chunks or in full, while others may use the tools as an aid or a brainstorm partner.

Students also aren't tempted by only ChatGPT and similar large language models. So-called word spinners are another type of AI software that rewrites text, and may make it less obvious to a teacher that work was plagiarized or generated by AI. Turnitin’s AI detector has also been updated to detect word spinners, says Annie Chechitelli, the company’s chief product officer. It can also flag work that was rewritten by services like spell checker Grammarly, which now has its own generative AI tool . As familiar software increasingly adds generative AI components, what students can and can’t use becomes more muddled.

Detection tools themselves have a risk of bias. English language learners may be more likely to set them off; a 2023 study found a 61.3 percent false positive rate when evaluating Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exams with seven different AI detectors. The study did not examine Turnitin’s version. The company says it has trained its detector on writing from English language learners as well as native English speakers. A study published in October found that Turnitin was among the most accurate of 16 AI language detectors in a test that had the tool examine undergraduate papers and AI-generated papers.

Andy Greenberg

Matt Burgess

Caroline Haskins

Jessica Rawnsley

Schools that use Turnitin had access to the AI detection software for a free pilot period, which ended at the start of this year. Chechitelli says a majority of the service’s clients have opted to purchase the AI detection. But the risks of false positives and bias against English learners have led some universities to ditch the tools for now. Montclair State University in New Jersey announced in November that it would pause use of Turnitin’s AI detector. Vanderbilt University and Northwestern University did the same last summer.

“This is hard. I understand why people want a tool,” says Emily Isaacs, executive director of the Office of Faculty Excellence at Montclair State. But Isaacs says the university is concerned about potentially biased results from AI detectors, as well as the fact that the tools can’t provide confirmation the way they can with plagiarism. Plus, Montclair State doesn’t want to put a blanket ban on AI, which will have some place in academia. With time and more trust in the tools, the policies could change. “It’s not a forever decision, it’s a now decision,” Isaacs says.

Chechitelli says the Turnitin tool shouldn’t be the only consideration in passing or failing a student. Instead, it’s a chance for teachers to start conversations with students that touch on all of the nuance in using generative AI. “People don’t really know where that line should be,” she says.

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NPR Editor Resigns—And Takes Shot At CEO—As Conservatives Crusade Against Alleged Bias

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An NPR senior editor who was suspended has resigned after publicly criticizing the network’s coverage as too left-leaning—and facing harsh internal criticism as a result—and took a shot on his way out at the network’s CEO, whose old tweets supporting progressive issues created their own scandal.

Following an essay published last week in which an NPR editor criticized the network’s “lack of ... [+] viewpoint diversity,” former President Donald Trump and others called for the network to lose its public funding.

Last week, veteran business editor Uri Berliner published an essay in The Free Press—a site founded by an ex-New York Times opinion editor popular among people who believe mainstream media has become too liberal—titled “I’ve Been at NPR for 25 Years. Here’s How We Lost America’s Trust.”

On Wednesday, Berliner announced on X , formerly known as Twitter, he resigned from his role at NPR and shared part of his resignation later, which read: “I cannot work in a newsroom where I am disparaged by a new CEO whose divisive views confirm the very problems at NPR I cite in my Free Press essay.”

The essay criticized the network for having little viewpoint diversity among its staff, said “an open-minded spirit no longer exists within NPR” and said political motives have infiltrated coverage of major topics including the recent presidential elections and COVID-19.

On Tuesday, NPR reported Berliner had received a five-day suspension and “final warning” for the essay he published, with the official reasoning being he “failed to secure its approval for outside work for other news outlets, as is required of NPR journalists”—though the article said the rebuke did not mention at least one other instance where Berliner spoke to media but did not get permission.

In response to Berliner’s critiques, NPR’s chief news executive announced Monday the newsroom would start monthly meetings to discuss whether the network “capture(d) the diversity of this country” in a way that helped its audience, NPR reported.

The trouble didn’t stop for NPR with Berliner’s essay, though, as tweets from its recently hired CEO Katherine Maher, who did not previously work in news, resurfaced over the weekend.

Maher had previously tweeted “ Donald Trump is a racist ” and a picture of her wearing a Biden for president hat, both of which drew wide criticism, including from Elon Musk , who tweeted, “This person is a crazy racist!” and conservative activist Christopher Rufo, who has called for her to be let go as CEO.

A spokesperson for NPR, Isabel Lara, told the New York Times Maher “was not working in journalism at the time and was exercising her First Amendment right to express herself like any other American citizen.”

Forbes has reached out to NPR for comment on Maher’s tweets and its suspension of Berliner.

Crucial Quote

“What’s notable is the extent to which people at every level of NPR have comfortably coalesced around the progressive worldview,” Berliner wrote in The Free Press essay. “And this, I believe, is the most damaging development at NPR: the absence of viewpoint diversity.”

Chief Critic

In his piece for The Free Press, Berliner said he previously looked at voter registration among the newsroom and found in Washington, D.C., there were “87 registered Democrats working in editorial positions and zero Republicans.” That point and others, combined with the resurfacing of Maher’s tweets, have led some to renew calls for NPR to lose its public funding. Shortly after Berliner’s essay was published last week, former President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social , saying: “NO MORE FUNDING FOR NPR” and calling the network a “TOTAL SCAM” and a “LIBERAL DISINFORMATION MACHINE.” Berliner said in his essay defunding NPR “isn’t the answer,” and reiterated the point in his resignation.

1%. In 2020, the New York Times reported that just about 1% of NPR’s budget came from federal funding.

Key Background

The right has called to defund NPR before, dating back to about when the Corporation for Public Broadcasting was started in the late 1960s. Both Presidents Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon “went after” the government subsidies NPR received, Politico reported , and President George W. Bush also tried to reduce NPR funding. In 2011, the House voted to block federal funding for NPR after a then-executive was secretly recorded criticizing Republican groups, though the vote was largely symbolic and funding was not cut. When he was in office, Trump requested federal funding for the CPB be reduced to nothing—which did not happen.

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Turmoil at NPR after editor rips network for political bias

The public radio network is being targeted by conservative activists over the editor’s essay, which many staffers say is misleading and inaccurate.

Uri Berliner had worked at NPR for a quarter-century when he wrote the essay that would abruptly end his tenure. On April 9, the Free Press published 3,500 words from Berliner, a senior business editor, about how the public radio network is guilty of journalistic malpractice — for conforming to a politically liberal worldview at the expense of fairness and accuracy.

“It’s true NPR has always had a liberal bent, but during most of my tenure here, an open-minded, curious culture prevailed,” Berliner wrote. “We were nerdy, but not knee-jerk, activist, or scolding. In recent years, however, that has changed.”

The essay, whose arguments were disputed by NPR management and many staffers, plunged the network into a week-long public controversy.

Last week NPR’s new CEO, Katherine Maher, indirectly referenced Berliner’s essay in a note to staff that NPR also published online. “Asking a question about whether we’re living up to our mission should always be fair game: after all, journalism is nothing if not hard questions,” she wrote. “Questioning whether our people are serving our mission with integrity, based on little more than the recognition of their identity, is profoundly disrespectful, hurtful, and demeaning.”

The drama reached a pinnacle Wednesday, when Berliner resigned while taking a shot at Maher.

In his resignation letter, Berliner called NPR “a great American institution” that should not be defunded. “I respect the integrity of my colleagues and wish for NPR to thrive and do important journalism,” he wrote in the letter, posted on his X account. “But I cannot work in a newsroom where I am disparaged by a new CEO whose divisive views confirm the very problems I cite in my Free Press essay.”

Berliner’s comments have angered many of his now-former colleagues, who dismissed as inaccurate his depiction of their workplace and who say his faulty criticisms have been weaponized against them.

Berliner’s essay is titled “ I’ve Been at NPR for 25 Years. Here’s How We Lost America’s Trust .” On its face, it seemed to confirm the worst suspicions held by NPR’s critics on the right: that the legendary media organization had an ideological, progressive agenda that dictates its journalism. The Free Press is an online publication started by journalist Bari Weiss, whose own resignation from the New York Times in 2020 was used by conservative politicians as evidence that the Times stifled certain ideas and ideologies; Weiss accused the Times of catering to a rigid, politically left-leaning worldview and of refusing to defend her against online “bullies” when she expressed views to the contrary. Berliner’s essay was accompanied by several glossy portraits and a nearly hour-long podcast interview with Weiss. He also went on NewsNation, where the host Chris Cuomo — who had been cast out from CNN for crossing ethical lines to help his governor-brother — called Berliner a “whistleblower.”

Initially, Berliner was suspended for not getting approval for doing work for another publication. NPR policy requires receiving written permission from supervisors “for all outside freelance and journalistic work,” according to the employee handbook.

An NPR spokeswoman said Wednesday that the network does not comment on personnel matters. Berliner declined The Washington Post’s request for further comment.

In an interview Tuesday with NPR’s David Folkenflik — whose work is also criticized in the Free Press essay — Berliner said “we have great journalists here. If they shed their opinions and did the great journalism they’re capable of, this would be a much more interesting and fulfilling organization for our listeners.”

Berliner’s future at NPR became an open question. NPR leaders were pressed by staff in meetings this week as to why he was still employed there. And some reporters made clear they didn’t want to be edited by Berliner anymore because they now questioned his journalistic judgment, said one prominent NPR journalist, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preserve relationships. “How are you supposed to have honest debates about coverage if you think it’s going to be fodder for the point he’s trying to make?” the staffer said.

Berliner had written that “there’s an unspoken consensus” about stories to pursue at NPR — “of supposed racism, transphobia, signs of the climate apocalypse, Israel doing something bad, and the dire threat of Republican policies” — and that the network operated without friction, “almost like an assembly line.”

Several prominent NPR journalists countered that impression. “We have strong, heated editorial debates every day to try and get the most appropriate language and nuanced reporting in a landscape that is divisive and difficult to work in as a journalist,” Leila Fadel, host of “Morning Edition,” told The Post. “Media and free independent press are often under attack for the fact-based reporting that we do.” She called Berliner’s essay “a bad-faith effort” and a “factually inaccurate take on our work that was filled with omissions to back his arguments.”

Other staffers noted that Berliner did not seek comment from NPR for his piece. No news organization is above reproach, “Weekend Edition” host Ayesha Rascoe told The Post, but someone should not “be able to tear down an entire organization’s work without any sort of response or context provided, or pushback.” There are many legitimate critiques to make of NPR’s coverage, she added, “but the way this has been done — it’s to invalidate all the work NPR does.”

NPR is known to have a very collegial culture, and the manner in which Berliner aired his criticism — perhaps even more than the substance of it — is what upset so many of his co-workers, according to one staffer.

“Morning Edition” host Steve Inskeep, writing on his Substack on Tuesday , fact-checked or contextualized several of the arguments Berliner made. For instance: Berliner wrote that he once asked “why we keep using that word that many Hispanics hate — Latinx.” Inskeep said he searched 90 days of NPR’s content and found “Latinx” was used nine times — “usually by a guest” — compared to the nearly 400 times “Latina” and “Latino” were used.

“This article needed a better editor,” Inskeep wrote. “I don’t know who, if anyone, edited Uri’s story, but they let him publish an article that discredited itself. … A careful read of the article shows many sweeping statements for which the writer is unable to offer evidence.”

This week conservative activist Christopher Rufo — who rose to fame for targeting “critical race theory,” and whose scrutiny of Harvard President Claudine Gay preceded her resignation — set his sights on Maher, surfacing old social media posts she wrote before she joined the news organization. In one 2020 tweet, she referred to Trump as a “deranged racist.” Others posts show her wearing a Biden hat, or wistfully daydreaming about hanging out with Kamala D. Harris. Rufo has called for Maher’s resignation.

“In America everyone is entitled to free speech as a private citizen,” Maher wrote in a statement to The Post, when asked about the social media posts. “What matters is NPR’s work and my commitment as its CEO: public service, editorial independence, and the mission to serve all of the American public.”

Maher, who started her job as NPR CEO last month, previously was the head of the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that operates the online encyclopedia Wikipedia. An NPR spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday that Maher “was not working in journalism at the time” of the social media posts; she was “exercising her first amendment right to express herself like any other American citizen,” and “the CEO is not involved in editorial decisions.”

In a statement, an NPR spokesperson described the outcry over Maher’s old posts as “a bad faith attack that follows an established playbook, as online actors with explicit agendas work to discredit independent news organizations.”

Meanwhile, some NPR staffers want a more forceful defense of NPR journalism by management. An internal letter — signed by about 50 NPR staffers as of Wednesday afternoon — called on Maher and NPR editor in chief Edith Chapin to “publicly and directly” call out Berliner’s “factual inaccuracies and elisions.”

In the essay, Berliner accuses NPR of mishandling three major stories: the allegations of the 2016 Trump campaign’s collusion with Russia, the origins of the coronavirus , and the authenticity and relevance of Hunter Biden’s laptop. Berliner’s critics note that he didn’t oversee coverage of these stories. They also say that his essay indirectly maligns employee affinity groups — he name-checks groups for Muslim, Jewish, queer and Black employees, which he wrote “reflect broader movement in the culture of people clustering together based on ideology or a characteristic at birth.” (Berliner belonged to the group for Jewish employees, according to an NPR staffer with knowledge of membership.) He also writes that he found NPR’s D.C. newsroom employed 87 registered Democrats and zero Republicans in editorial positions in 2021. His critics say this figure lacks proper context.

Tony Cavin, NPR’s managing editor of standards and practices, told The Post that “I have no idea where he got that number,” that NPR’s newsroom has 660 employees, and that “I know a number of our hosts and staff are registered as independents.” That includes Inskeep, who, on his Substack, backed up Cavin’s assessment.

Berliner also wrote that, during the administration of Donald Trump , NPR “hitched our wagon” to top Trump antagonist Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) by interviewing him 25 times about Trump and Russia. Cavin told The Post NPR aired 900 interviews with lawmakers during the same period of time, “so that’s 3 percent. He’s a business reporter, he knows about statistics and it seems he’s selectively using statistics.”

Cavin said some inside the organization agree with points Berliner made, even if they “don’t like the way he went about it. The irony of this is it tells you how diverse as an organization we are, in ideological terms.”

“There are a few bits of truth in this,” NPR international correspondent Eyder Peralta wrote on Facebook. But he said the essay “uses a selecting reading to serve the author’s own world views” and paints with “too broad a brush.”

“I have covered wars, I have been thrown in jail for my work,” Peralta told The Post, “and for him to question part of what is in our nature, which is intellectual curiosity and that we follow our noses where they lead us, that hurts. And I think that damages NPR.”

Some staffers have also been attacked online since the essay’s publication. Rascoe, who, as a Black woman host for NPR, says she’s no stranger to online vitriol, but one message after Berliner’s essay labeled her as a “DEI hire” who has “never read a book in her life.”

“What stung about this one was it came on the basis of a supposed colleague’s op-ed,” whose words were “being used as fodder to attack me,” Rascoe said. “And my concern is not about me, but all the younger journalists who don’t have the platform I have and who will be attacked and their integrity questioned simply on the basis of who they are.”

NPR, like much of the media industry, has struggled in recent years with a declining audience and a tough ad market. NPR laid off 100 workers in 2023, one of its largest layoffs ever , citing fewer sponsorships and a projected $30 million decline in revenue.

Going forward, some staffers worry about the ramifications of Berliner’s essay and the reactions to it. The open letter to Maher and Chapin said that “sending the message that a public essay is the easiest way to make change is setting a bad precedent, regardless of the ideologies being expressed.”

An earlier version of this article included a reference to Uri Berliner's Free Press essay in which Berliner cited voter registration data for editorial employees of NPR's D.C. newsroom. The article has been updated to clarify that this data was from 2021, not the present day.

• Turmoil at NPR after editor rips network for political bias April 17, 2024 Turmoil at NPR after editor rips network for political bias April 17, 2024
• Smartmatic and OANN settle lawsuit over 2020 coverage April 16, 2024 Smartmatic and OANN settle lawsuit over 2020 coverage April 16, 2024
• Colorado GOP ousts reporter from event, claiming ‘unfair’ coverage April 9, 2024 Colorado GOP ousts reporter from event, claiming ‘unfair’ coverage April 9, 2024

‘Dimbulb’ Trump Torched After Rambling Attempt To Explain Gettysburg Goes Wrong

Overnight Editor, HuffPost

Donald Trump’s attempt to explain the Battle of Gettysburg took some strange verbal detours ― and his critics were quick to call him out over it.

“Gettysburg, what an unbelievable battle that was. The Battle of Gettysburg,” the former president said at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. “What an unbelievable ― I mean, it was so much and so interesting, and so vicious and horrible, and so beautiful in so many different ways.”

Trump continued:

“Gettysburg. Wow. I go to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to look and to watch. And the statement of Robert E. Lee ― who’s no longer in favor, did you ever notice that? No longer in favor ― ‘Never fight uphill, me boys, never fight uphill.’ They were fighting uphill. He said, ‘Wow, that was a big mistake.’ He lost his great general, and they were fighting. ‘Never fight uphill, me boys!’ But it was too late.”

The ramble was made even more surreal when someone just over Trump’s left shoulder began making odd faces midway through:

Trump goes on a weird rant about the battle of Gettysburg and then notes of Robert E Lee that "he's no longer in favor. Did you ever notice that?" pic.twitter.com/hs9GjmCh6K — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 14, 2024

Trump has been prone to verbal gaffes , stumbles and miscues , especially lately .

But even critics on X, formerly Twitter, were left perplexed by his attempt to describe one of the most famous battles in American history:

This is the part where Trump does a mash-up of the Civil War and Pirates of the Caribbean. https://t.co/H8aszJvzwF — Heather Thomas (@HeatherThomasAF) April 14, 2024

Trump: "Gettysburg! Wow!" What a dimbulb. — Stephen King (@StephenKing) April 14, 2024

So @realDonaldTrump Gettysburg was "Beautiful" and "it represented such a big portion of the success of this country." Really? Oh and "Robert E. Lee is no longer in favor"! Do you know why he is no longer in favor? Because he was a damn insurrectionist! On June 7, 1865, Robert E.… https://t.co/VUxRNPfLjR — Michael Steele (@MichaelSteele) April 14, 2024

His utter stupidity has always amazed me more than his psychopathy. https://t.co/X3pU976ln6 — George Conway (@gtconway3d) April 14, 2024

Trump: Gettysburg, what an amazing, horrible, just incredible, classy, terrible thing, really beautiful. I kinda went there, but had the wrong address. Robert E Lee a war hero that wasn’t captured, loser on the hill, but we miss him, really a great guy, believe me https://t.co/CZ0ABdwk1s — Jared Moskowitz (@JaredEMoskowitz) April 14, 2024

Trump, in his bizarro history lesson, has Robert E. Lee saying to his troops "Never fight uphill, me boys," as if he was the Lucky Charms leprechaun. https://t.co/vpkYzPTUsI — James Surowiecki (@JamesSurowiecki) April 15, 2024

“I go to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to look and to watch” I wish more people would note how frequently Trump says simple sentences with simple words that are still so utterly crazy that no one in history has ever said them before https://t.co/5bqRXHuFhY — Roger Sollenberger (@SollenbergerRC) April 15, 2024

Trump just gave his own Gettysburg Address. It was incoherent. https://t.co/3G04VaIF3b — davidrlurie (@davidrlurie) April 14, 2024

The man's brain is mush. Imagine thinking this demented buffoon should become the president of the United States. https://t.co/y6FvYJdr4v — Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) April 14, 2024

If we asked Trump which General led Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg, is there any chance he would give the right answer? — Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) April 14, 2024

Civil War historian here anyone who is a fan of the Confederate traitor and enslaver Robert E Lee should not ever be the President of the United States. https://t.co/SkcA8MoL2H — Manisha Sinha (@ProfMSinha) April 14, 2024

Guarantee this is the totality of what Trump knows about Gettysburg https://t.co/p6D2M48QWW — Greg Pinelo (@gregpinelo) April 14, 2024

“Never fight uphill, me boys.” Was Robert E Lee an Irish pirate? https://t.co/OVCxH0IuSD — Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) April 14, 2024

Trump is one of those idiots who asks Gettysburg park rangers if the monuments were there during the battle. — Bob Cesca (@bobcesca_go) April 14, 2024

Donald Trump always talks about history (or, well, *anything*) like a fourth-grader doing a book report on a book he didn’t read. — Mrs. Betty Bowers (@BettyBowers) April 14, 2024

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Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

MLA Works Cited: Electronic Sources (Web Publications)

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

The MLA Handbook highlights principles over prescriptive practices. Essentially, a writer will need to take note of primary elements in every source, such as author, title, etc. and then assort them in a general format. Thus, by using this methodology, a writer will be able to cite any source regardless of whether it’s included in this list.

However, this guide will highlight a few concerns when citing digital sources in MLA style.

Best Practices for Managing Online Sources

Because online information can change or disappear, it is always a good idea to keep personal copies of important electronic information whenever possible. Downloading or even printing key documents ensures you have a stable backup. You can also use the Bookmark function in your web browser in order to build an easy-to-access reference for all of your project's sources (though this will not help you if the information is changed or deleted).

It is also wise to keep a record of when you first consult with each online source. MLA uses the phrase, “Accessed” to denote which date you accessed the web page when available or necessary. It is not required to do so, but it is encouraged (especially when there is no copyright date listed on a website).

Important Note on the Use of URLs in MLA

Include a URL or web address to help readers locate your sources. Because web addresses are not static (i.e., they change often) and because documents sometimes appear in multiple places on the web (e.g., on multiple databases), MLA encourages the use of citing containers such as Youtube, JSTOR, Spotify, or Netflix in order to easily access and verify sources. However, MLA only requires the www. address, so eliminate all https:// when citing URLs.

Many scholarly journal articles found in databases include a DOI (digital object identifier). If a DOI is available, cite the DOI number instead of the URL.

Online newspapers and magazines sometimes include a “permalink,” which is a shortened, stable version of a URL. Look for a “share” or “cite this” button to see if a source includes a permalink. If you can find a permalink, use that instead of a URL.

Abbreviations Commonly Used with Electronic Sources

If page numbers are not available, use par. or pars. to denote paragraph numbers. Use these in place of the p. or pp. abbreviation. Par. would be used for a single paragraph, while pars. would be used for a span of two or more paragraphs.

Basic Style for Citations of Electronic Sources (Including Online Databases)

Here are some common features you should try to find before citing electronic sources in MLA style. Not every web page will provide all of the following information. However, collect as much of the following information as possible:

• Author and/or editor names (if available); last names first.
• "Article name in quotation marks."
• Title of the website, project, or book in italics.
• Any version numbers available, including editions (ed.), revisions, posting dates, volumes (vol.), or issue numbers (no.).
• Publisher information, including the publisher name and publishing date.
• Take note of any page numbers (p. or pp.) or paragraph numbers (par. or pars.).
• DOI (if available, precede it with "https://doi.org/"), otherwise a URL (without the https://) or permalink.
• Date you accessed the material (Date Accessed). While not required, saving this information it is highly recommended, especially when dealing with pages that change frequently or do not have a visible copyright date.

Use the following format:

Author. "Title." Title of container (self contained if book) , Other contributors (translators or editors), Version (edition), Number (vol. and/or no.), Publisher, Publication Date, Location (pages, paragraphs and/or URL, DOI or permalink). 2 nd container’s title , Other contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication date, Location, Date of Access (if applicable).

Citing an Entire Web Site

When citing an entire website, follow the same format as listed above, but include a compiler name if no single author is available.

Author, or compiler name (if available). Name of Site. Version number (if available), Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), date of resource creation (if available), DOI (preferred), otherwise include a URL or permalink. Date of access (if applicable).

Editor, author, or compiler name (if available). Name of Site . Version number, Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), date of resource creation (if available), URL, DOI or permalink. Date of access (if applicable).

The Purdue OWL Family of Sites . The Writing Lab and OWL at Purdue and Purdue U, 2008, owl.english.purdue.edu/owl. Accessed 23 Apr. 2008.

Felluga, Dino. Guide to Literary and Critical Theory . Purdue U, 28 Nov. 2003, www.cla.purdue.edu/english/theory/. Accessed 10 May 2006.

Course or Department Websites

Give the instructor name. Then list the title of the course (or the school catalog designation for the course) in italics. Give appropriate department and school names as well, following the course title.

Felluga, Dino. Survey of the Literature of England . Purdue U, Aug. 2006, web.ics.purdue.edu/~felluga/241/241/Home.html. Accessed 31 May 2007.

English Department . Purdue U, 20 Apr. 2009, www.cla.purdue.edu/english/. Accessed 31 May 2015.

A Page on a Web Site

For an individual page on a Web site, list the author or alias if known, followed by an indication of the specific page or article being referenced. Usually, the title of the page or article appears in a header at the top of the page. Follow this with the information covered above for entire Web sites. If the publisher is the same as the website name, only list it once.

Lundman, Susan. “How to Make Vegetarian Chili.”  eHow , www.ehow.com/how_10727_make-vegetarian-chili.html. Accessed 6 July 2015.

“ Athlete's Foot - Topic Overview. ”   WebMD , 25 Sept. 2014, www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/athletes-foot-topic-overview.

Citations for e-books closely resemble those for physical books. Simply indicate that the book in question is an e-book by putting the term "e-book" in the "version" slot of the MLA template (i.e., after the author, the title of the source, the title of the container, and the names of any other contributors).

Silva, Paul J.  How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing. E-book, American Psychological Association, 2007.

If the e-book is formatted for a specific reader device or service, you can indicate this by treating this information the same way you would treat a physical book's edition number. Often, this will mean replacing "e-book" with "[App/Service] ed."

Machiavelli, Niccolo.  The Prince , translated by W. K. Marriott, Kindle ed., Library of Alexandria, 2018.

Note:  The MLA considers the term "e-book" to refer to publications formatted specifically for reading with an e-book reader device (e.g., a Kindle) or a corresponding web application. These e-books will not have URLs or DOIs. If you are citing book content from an ordinary webpage with a URL, use the "A Page on a Web Site" format above.

An Image (Including a Painting, Sculpture, or Photograph)

Provide the artist's name, the work of art italicized, the date of creation, the institution and city where the work is housed. Follow this initial entry with the name of the Website in italics, and the date of access.

Goya, Francisco. The Family of Charles IV . 1800. Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid. Museo Nacional del Prado , www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/the-family-of-carlos-iv/f47898fc-aa1c-48f6-a779-71759e417e74. Accessed 22 May 2006.

Klee, Paul. Twittering Machine . 1922. Museum of Modern Art, New York. The Artchive , www.artchive.com/artchive/K/klee/twittering_machine.jpg.html. Accessed May 2006.

If the work cited is available on the web only, then provide the name of the artist, the title of the work, and then follow the citation format for a website. If the work is posted via a username, use that username for the author.

Adams, Clifton R. “People Relax Beside a Swimming Pool at a Country Estate Near Phoenix, Arizona, 1928.” Found, National Geographic Creative, 2 June 2016, natgeofound.tumblr.com/.

An Article in a Web Magazine

Provide the author name, article name in quotation marks, title of the web magazine in italics, publisher name, publication date, URL, and the date of access.

Bernstein, Mark. “ 10 Tips on Writing the Living Web. ”   A List Apart: For People Who Make Websites , 16 Aug. 2002, alistapart.com/article/writeliving. Accessed 4 May 2009.

An Article in an Online Scholarly Journal

For all online scholarly journals, provide the author(s) name(s), the name of the article in quotation marks, the title of the publication in italics, all volume and issue numbers, and the year of publication. Include a DOI if available, otherwise provide a URL or permalink to help readers locate the source.

Article in an Online-only Scholarly Journal

MLA requires a page range for articles that appear in Scholarly Journals. If the journal you are citing appears exclusively in an online format (i.e. there is no corresponding print publication) that does not make use of page numbers, indicate the URL or other location information.

Dolby, Nadine. “Research in Youth Culture and Policy: Current Conditions and Future Directions.” Social Work and Society: The International Online-Only Journal, vol. 6, no. 2, 2008, www.socwork.net/sws/article/view/60/362. Accessed 20 May 2009.

Article in an Online Scholarly Journal That Also Appears in Print

Cite articles in online scholarly journals that also appear in print as you would a scholarly journal in print, including the page range of the article . Provide the URL and the date of access.

Wheelis, Mark. “ Investigating Disease Outbreaks Under a Protocol to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention. ”   Emerging Infectious Diseases , vol. 6, no. 6, 2000, pp. 595-600, wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/6/6/00-0607_article. Accessed 8 Feb. 2009.

An Article from an Online Database (or Other Electronic Subscription Service)

Cite online databases (e.g. LexisNexis, ProQuest, JSTOR, ScienceDirect) and other subscription services as containers. Thus, provide the title of the database italicized before the DOI or URL. If a DOI is not provided, use the URL instead. Provide the date of access if you wish.

Alonso, Alvaro, and Julio A. Camargo. “ Toxicity of Nitrite to Three Species of Freshwater Invertebrates. ”   Environmental Toxicology, vol. 21, no. 1, 3 Feb. 2006, pp. 90-94. Wiley Online Library , https://doi.org/10.1002/tox.20155. Accessed 26 May 2009.

Langhamer, Claire. “Love and Courtship in Mid-Twentieth-Century England.” Historical Journal, vol. 50, no. 1, 2007, pp. 173-96. ProQuest , https://doi.org/10.1017/S0018246X06005966. Accessed 27 May 2009.

E-mail (including E-mail Interviews)

Give the author of the message, followed by the subject line in quotation marks. State to whom the message was sent with the phrase, “Received by” and the recipient’s name. Include the date the message was sent. Use standard capitalization.

Kunka, Andrew. “ Re: Modernist Literature. ”  Received by John Watts, 15 Nov. 2000.

Neyhart, David. “ Re: Online Tutoring. ” Received by Joe Barbato, 1 Dec. 2016.

A Listserv, Discussion Group, or Blog Posting

Cite web postings as you would a standard web entry. Provide the author of the work, the title of the posting in quotation marks, the web site name in italics, the publisher, and the posting date. Follow with the date of access. Include screen names as author names when author name is not known. If both names are known, place the author’s name in brackets.

Author or compiler name (if available). “Posting Title.” Name of Site , Version number (if available), Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), URL. Date of access.

Salmar1515 [Sal Hernandez]. “Re: Best Strategy: Fenced Pastures vs. Max Number of Rooms?” BoardGameGeek , 29 Sept. 2008, boardgamegeek.com/thread/343929/best-strategy-fenced-pastures-vs-max-number-rooms. Accessed 5 Apr. 2009.

Begin with the user's Twitter handle in place of the author’s name. Next, place the tweet in its entirety in quotations, inserting a period after the tweet within the quotations. Include the date and time of posting, using the reader's time zone; separate the date and time with a comma and end with a period. Include the date accessed if you deem necessary.

@tombrokaw. “ SC demonstrated why all the debates are the engines of this campaign. ”   Twitter, 22 Jan. 2012, 3:06 a.m., twitter.com/tombrokaw/status/160996868971704320.

@PurdueWLab. “ Spring break is around the corner, and all our locations will be open next week. ”   Twitter , 5 Mar. 2012, 12:58 p.m., twitter.com/PurdueWLab/status/176728308736737282.

A YouTube Video

Video and audio sources need to be documented using the same basic guidelines for citing print sources in MLA style. Include as much descriptive information as necessary to help readers understand the type and nature of the source you are citing. If the author’s name is the same as the uploader, only cite the author once. If the author is different from the uploader, cite the author’s name before the title.

McGonigal, Jane. “Gaming and Productivity.” YouTube , uploaded by Big Think, 3 July 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkdzy9bWW3E.

“8 Hot Dog Gadgets put to the Test.” YouTube, uploaded by Crazy Russian Hacker, 6 June 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBlpjSEtELs.

A Comment on a Website or Article

List the username as the author. Use the phrase, Comment on, before the title. Use quotation marks around the article title. Name the publisher, date, time (listed on near the comment), and the URL.

Not Omniscient Enough. Comment on “ Flight Attendant Tells Passenger to ‘Shut Up’ After Argument Over Pasta. ”  ABC News, 9 Jun 2016, 4:00 p.m., abcnews.go.com/US/flight-attendant-tells-passenger-shut-argument-pasta/story?id=39704050.