MLA which is an acronym for The Modern Language Association of America. MLA citation style is one of many different citation styles in academic writing, especially in humanities. MLA Citation styles are standardized systems for mentioning and acknowledging sources you have used for your research paper or assignment.
Since there are many different citation styles, your program or degree will require you to use a specific citation style. There are over 100 citation style and it is essential to follow the required style and not be tempted to follow another style to avoid inconsistency. On this post, I will tell you everything you need to know about MLA in-text citation of a Newspaper.
What is MLA in-text citation?
MLA In-text citation, usually parenthetical or in brackets, is an act of mentioning the content of a Newspaper within the body of research work or paper while providing a full reference (Work cited) at the end of the page of the research work. It is called “in-text” because another source had been cited within the body of research work.
What usually follows after MLA in-text citation is the Works Cited List. While the In-text citation is used to cite a text or resources from another source by including only the author’s, name, the former provides full information about the source cited by including the Newspaper title, title of the page, date, URL, last accessed etc…
MLA In-text citation format for a Newspaper.
Citing a Newspaper is very similar to MLA citation for a website. In-text citation for a Newspaper means mentioning the content a Newspaper on your research work or assignment usually in parentheses. Citing a Newspaper (in print) is recommended than an online Newspaper because the content of the latter are usually volatile and dynamic. This simple means its content can be deleted, edited and restructured.
The URL can also be changed at will. The information you need to cite a Newspaper using MLA format is usually found at the Header (top of the Newspaper) and the Footer section.
Before I show you various examples of in MLA In-text citation for Newspaper. Let’s consider what must be included in In-text citation.
The following must be included when citing a Newspaper (in print) using MLA style
- The author’s surname (last name) appears in the in-text citation
- Page number for in print. If an article is only one page long, you do not need to provide the page number in the in-text citation.
- If there is no author listed, the in-text citation would include the first word or words of the title of the article in quotation marks.
How to evaluate a Newspaper to be used for MLA in-text citation of a research work
- Is the author well known and frequently published?
- Are there any reviews available for the author’s work?
- How easy is it to find contact information for the author within the Newspaper?
- Does it appeal more to an academic reader, or is it more casual?
- What is the intended audience of the Newspaper?
- Is it similar or different from your intended audience?
- What is the purpose of the Newspaper entry? Is it to persuade or argue?
- To entertain or inform?
- What is the author’s tone of voice?
- How much information can be learned from the Newspaper on a particular topic?
- Does it talk about a broad topic or a specific element of a topic?
- Are there larger, more popular Newspaper on the topic than this one?
- Are there similar content within the Newspaper?
What is the purpose of MLA In-text citation of a Newspaper?
- The main purpose of MLA In-text citation of a Newspaper is to indicate within your assignment the sources of the information you have used to write your research work or assignment and in turn, demonstrates support for your ideas, arguments and views.
- Another main purpose of MLA In-text citation of a Newspaper is plagiarism. If you make use someone else’s online article and fail to acknowledge them, you may be accused of plagiarism and infringing copyright if noticed.
- Another main purpose of MLA In-text citation is to direct your readers to your sources through your Works Cited list at the end of your academic work.
- Professionally, In-text citation is a required parameter for any research work or assignment. For any research work to be fully approved, MLA In-text citation is a requirement. A research work without citation is more or less literature.
One last thing to note before I show you MLA In-text citation format examples for a Newspaper, let me tell the things you must remember. When creating MLIA in-text citation, the following are fundamental to help you create a great Work Cited List at the end of your research work.
- Who – wrote /edited it – author or editor
- When was it written – that is, the date
- What is it – the title of Newspaper, the title of the article, the title of the web document etc
- Where was it published (Newspaper)
- Where was the article located within the Newspaper?
- Where you located it (Internet sources) – URL – web address.
MLA Works Cited List entry format of a Newspaper/webpage
Remember Reference encompasses citation. While citation only points to a building and landlord, Reference points to the building, rooms, landlord and possibly the children. In essence, the reference (Works Cited) includes details of the sources cited in your paper. It starts on a separate page at the end of your assignment paper and is titled Works Cited. Each item cited in the Works Cited list must have been cited in your paper.
All sources appearing in the Works Cited list must be ordered alphabetically by surname because the Works Cited list provides all the details necessary for the person reading and/or marking the assignment to locate and retrieve any information source cited. An accurate and properly constructed Works Cited list provides credibility to the written work it accompanies and helps readers find the particular sources you have used.
The following are Core Element of MLA citation for Newspapers (however, you should ignore any element not found on the source you cited) Check out the core element for website.
Core Elements are important criteria when citing a Newspaper using MLA format. You should note that not every Newspaper will provide all of the Core Element. However, you should gather as much of the following information as possible both for your citations and for your research notes:
- Author and/or editor names (if available); last names first in parentheses
- “Article name in quotation marks.” Including Subtitle
- Name of Newspaper in italics.
- Volumes (vol.), or issue numbers (no.).
- URL (without the https://) DOI or permalink. (for online Newspaper)
- Date of Publication
- The date you accessed the material (for online Newspaper)
- Take note of any page numbers (p. or pp.) or paragraph numbers (par. or pars.).
Tips
- If the newspaper is a less well-known or local publication, include the city name in brackets after the title of the newspaper
- You do not need to add the city of publication to the name of a nationally published newspaper.
- If there is no author listed, the in-text citation would include the first word or words of the title of the article in quotation marks
- If an article is only one page long, you do not need to provide the page number in the in-text citation.
- Date of access is now optional in MLA 8th edition. If no publication date is included, I recommend including the date you last accessed the site.
How to cite a Newspaper Article accessed from in Print
Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article: Subtitle if Any.” Name of Newspaper, Date of Publication, p. Page number. If the author’s name is not listed, begin the citation with the title of the article.
Example of MLA citation for Newspaper in print
In-text citation: (Soyinka 29) or (“Revolution”) if no author is found.
Work Cited: Soyinka, Wole. “Revolution of Education in Nigeria.” Punch Newspaper, 10 June 2004, p.13
How to cite a Newspaper Article accessed from a Library Database- Newspapers with Volumes and Issues
(Author’s Last Name, First Name). “Title of Article: Subtitle if Any.” Name of Newspaper [City of newspaper if local paper with city name, not in name of newspaper], vol. Volume Number, no. Issues Number, Date of Publication, p. Page number if given. Name of Database.
Example of MLA citation for Newspaper accessed from a Library Database- Newspapers with Volumes and Issues
In-text citation: (Soyinka 29) or (“Omission”) if no author is found
Work Cited: Soyinka, Wole. “Omission of History in Secondary School Subjects” Vanguard Newspaper, vol. 39, no. 3, 2 Aug 2001, p. 21. Uniben Library Database.
How to cite a Newspaper Article accessed from the web
(Author’s Last Name, First Name). “Title of Article.” Name of Newspaper, Date of Publication, URL. Accessed access date.
Example of MLA citation for Newspaper accessed from the web
In-text citation: (Soyinka 29) or (“Omission”) if no author is found.
Work Cited: Soyinka, Wole. “Omission of History in Secondary School Subjects.” Punch Newspaper, 23 June 2011, www.punchng.com/business/economy/2011/06/23/Omission_of_History_in Secondary-y_School_Subjects.htm. Accessed 7 June 2001.
How to Format the Works Cited in MLA
- Start the Works Cited list on a new page at the end of your assignment, including only sources cited within your writing.
- The title Works Cited, or Work Cited if there is only one source, should be centred and at the top of the page.
- Double-space the entire Works Cited list, including the title line. Do not add an extra blank line after the title.
- Put the first line of each new entry to the left margin (left justified). Use a hanging indent (standard half-inch tab) for all subsequent lines of the entry. Tip: In MS Word, highlight all lines of the entry and press Ctrl + t
- Organize the list alphabetically according to the first letter of each entry. Ignore “A,” “An,” and “The” when alphabetizing.