Skip to Main Content

APA: Online Newspaper or Magazine Article

Citation Generators - A Warning!

There are several free online citation generators that will make your Works Cited or Reference pages for you. Beware that these do not always format your sources correctly (there is a reason they are free). If you choose to use one of these tools, use the tabs at the top of the screen to check that they are correct before submitting your assignment. You don't want to lose points on your assignment because the AI generators were wrong!

APA Online Newspaper or Magazine Article

References:

Use this format if you are using an online article from a newspaper or magazine.

Newspapers and magazines are DIFFERENT THAN AN ONLINE NEWS SITE! You will cite an article from an online news site using the web page with author format. How do I tell the difference?

  • Is the organization/company also a tv network, like CNN or FoxNews? Then it's a news website.
  • Can you go to a bookstore and buy a print copy of that newspaper or magazine?
  • Does it publish on a regular schedule, like every day, every week or every month? Go to the About section on the website. Look for information on how the information is published or how subscriptions are sold.
  • Can you buy a print subscription?
  • If you're not sure, use the Ask a Librarian button on this page.

If there is no date with the article you are using, DO NOT use the copyright year at the bottom of the page. That applies to the whole website and is not necessarily the date your information was written. See the tab for a web page with no date for directions.

  • Author names are always formatted as Lastname, comma, then their initials. Do not include full first names. Commas are used the separate different authors if there is more than one author.
  • Article titles are written sentence style, which means you capitalize like you are writing a sentence. Capitalize the first word and any proper nouns in the title. They are also italicized.
  • Include the name of the newspaper or magazine, capitalized the formal way (like a movie, book, or show is capitalized) AND italicized. Only include the website name, don't include .com/.edu/.org.
  • Always include the link that takes you straight to the page/article you are using. 
    • If you use multiple pages/articles on one site (they will have different links) you need to cite them separately. Each one will have its own line on your reference page and will have its own in-text citation.
  • Note where periods or commas separate pieces of information. There is no period after the webpage link.
  • *We can't do a hanging indent on this page but be sure to include it in your final version.

Authors. (date of publication). Article title (capitalized sentence style). Magazine/NewspaperTitle (italicized). URL link to article.

Carey, B. (2019, Marc 22). Can we get better at forgetting? The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/22/health/memory-forgetting-psychology.html

Willingham, E. (2014, February 22). Is the CDC hiding data about mercury, vaccines, and autism? Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/is-the-cdc-hiding-data-about-mercury-vaccines-and-autism/

In-Text Citation:

(Carey, 2019)

Ask the Library!

Contact the Library

phone icon Phone: 712-325-3478
mail icon Email: cyberlibrary@iwcc.edu
question mark icon Ask a Librarian

Questions about formatting, citations, or finding sources? 

Schedule an appointment with library staff by clicking the Schedule Appointment button.

 

When is the library open? Find our hours here

More On APA Citations