How to Cite a Newspaper Article in Chicago 17 Format

Newspaper articles are essential primary sources for history and journalism students. Whether you're analyzing political coverage from the 1960s or tracking contemporary policy debates, proper citation of newspaper sources lends credibility to your research. The Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition) provides specific rules for newspapers that differ from journal articles—particularly regarding page numbers, section designations, and the treatment of well-known papers versus local ones. This guide covers every variation you'll encounter, from print editions with section letters to online articles accessed through databases.

For a complete overview of Chicago 17 formatting, see our Chicago 17th Edition citation guide.

Understanding Chicago 17 Newspaper Citation Rules

Before diving into examples, there are several principles specific to newspaper citations in Chicago style that history and journalism students must understand:

• Page numbers are usually omitted. Unlike journal articles, newspaper editions vary in pagination across print runs and regions. Chicago 17 (§14.203) recommends omitting page numbers unless a particular context requires them.
• Newspapers are often cited in notes only. Chicago 17 (§14.206) states that newspaper articles consulted online are typically cited in notes rather than included in the bibliography. However, if a newspaper article is critical to your argument, you may include it in the bibliography.
• "The" in newspaper names. An initial "The" is dropped in running text and notes when it's part of the newspaper's name (e.g., write New York Times, not The New York Times). However, retain "The" if it's part of an unfamiliar or foreign title where dropping it would cause confusion.
• City names. If the city of publication is not part of the newspaper's name, add it in parentheses after the name—for example, Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ). Well-known national papers like the Wall Street Journal or Washington Post do not need a city.
• Online access dates. Chicago 17 does not generally require access dates for online newspaper articles unless the content is likely to change or the publication date is unclear.

Real-World Examples

1. Single Author, Print Newspaper

A standard print newspaper article by a single named reporter:

Notes: The section designation "sec. A" is optional but useful for print sources. "The" is dropped from New York Times per Chicago convention.

2. Single Author, Online Newspaper

An article accessed online with a URL:

Notes: The URL comes at the end. No period follows the URL in Chicago style. In the bibliography, the URL follows the date on a new clause (after the period following the date).

3. Two Authors

When a newspaper article has two reporters:

Notes: In the footnote, both names are in first-last order. In the bibliography, only the first author is inverted (Last, First). The second author stays in natural order.

4. No Named Author

Many newspaper articles—especially editorials, wire service reports, and unsigned pieces—lack a byline:

Notes: When there is no author, the article title moves to the front of the citation. In the bibliography, it is alphabetized by the first significant word of the title (ignore "A," "An," "The").

5. Newspaper Article from a Database

Historical newspaper research often relies on databases like ProQuest Historical Newspapers:

Notes: Chicago 17 (§14.207) recommends naming the database in place of a URL when the URL is unwieldy or unstable. If the database provides a stable permalink, you may include it instead.

Step-by-Step: Creating a Newspaper Citation

Follow these steps to build a correct Chicago 17 newspaper citation from scratch.

Step 1: Identify the Author

Look for the byline at the top of the article. If there is no byline, begin the citation with the article title. For wire service articles (AP, Reuters, AFP), the news agency is generally not treated as the author—cite the article without an author or, if the agency is explicitly credited as the byline, use it in the author position.

Step 2: Record the Article Title

Copy the headline exactly. Place it in quotation marks. Use headline-style capitalization per Chicago rules: capitalize the first and last words, all nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and subordinating conjunctions. Lowercase articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or), and prepositions unless they are the first or last word.

Step 3: Identify the Newspaper Name

Italicize the newspaper name. Drop an initial "The" from well-known English-language papers. If the city is not evident from the name, add it in parentheses: Star Tribune (Minneapolis). For foreign-language papers, include the city if readers may not recognize it: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

Step 4: Record the Date

Use the format Month Day, Year (e.g., March 15, 2024). Do not abbreviate months. For historical articles, verify the exact publication date from the masthead or database record, not from a modern reprint.

Step 5: Note the Section or Edition (If Applicable)

For print articles, you may include the section letter or name (sec. A, Sunday edition, late edition). This is optional in Chicago 17 but can be useful for readers trying to locate a specific print article.

Step 6: Add the URL or Database Name (If Online)

For articles accessed online, include the full URL at the end. If accessed via a database with unstable URLs, name the database instead. Do not include an access date unless the content is undated or subject to change.

Step 7: Format for Footnotes vs. Bibliography

Remember the key formatting differences:

Common Errors

These are the mistakes history and journalism students make most often when citing newspapers in Chicago 17.

Error 1: Including "The" in the Newspaper Name

Drop the initial "The" from well-known English-language newspaper names in citations.

Error 2: Including Page Numbers

Chicago 17 recommends omitting page numbers from newspaper citations because pagination varies between editions.

Error 3: Using Journal-Style Volume/Issue Numbers

Newspapers use full dates, not volume and issue numbers. This is one of the most common errors when students apply journal formatting to newspaper sources.

Error 4: Inverting Author Name in Footnotes

In footnotes, author names appear in natural order (First Last). Only bibliography entries invert the first author's name.

Error 5: Abbreviating Months

Chicago style spells out all months in full. Never abbreviate.

Special Cases

Wire Service Articles (AP, Reuters, AFP)

Wire service stories distributed through newspapers present a common challenge. If the article carries a reporter's byline, cite the reporter as author. If only the agency is credited, you may cite the agency as author or treat the article as unsigned:

Either approach is acceptable in Chicago 17. Be consistent throughout your paper.

Editorials, Letters to the Editor, and Op-Eds

For editorials and opinion pieces, include a descriptor after the article title to clarify the type:

The descriptor (editorial, letter to the editor, op-ed) is lowercase and not italicized.

Newspaper with Unfamiliar or Local Name

When citing a newspaper whose city of publication is not clear from the name, add the city (and state abbreviation if needed) in parentheses:

Historical Newspaper (No Author, Archival Source)

For historical newspaper research—common in history coursework—citations often lack an author and may come from microfilm or digital archives:

Online Edition with No Print Equivalent

Some newspaper content exists only online and was never printed. Cite it the same way as other online articles but include the URL:

Newspaper Article with No Date

Occasionally you encounter an undated clipping or article. Use "n.d." (no date) in place of the date:

Newspaper Review (Book Review, Film Review)

For reviews published in newspapers, include the phrase "review of" followed by the work being reviewed:

Online vs. Print: A Decision Guide

One of the most frequent questions from students is whether to cite the print or online version. Here's a quick decision framework:

Key principle: Always cite the version you actually consulted. If you read an article on the Washington Post website, cite the online version with its URL—even if a print edition exists.

Notes-Only vs. Notes-and-Bibliography

Chicago 17 (§14.206) allows newspaper articles to be cited in notes only, without a corresponding bibliography entry. This is because newspapers are considered less formal sources in many academic contexts. However, there are exceptions:

• Include in bibliography when the newspaper article is a primary source central to your argument (e.g., a history paper analyzing media coverage of an event).
• Include in bibliography when your instructor or publication requires all cited sources in the bibliography.
• Omit from bibliography when the newspaper article provides supplementary or background information.
• When in doubt, include it. No instructor will mark you down for including a source in your bibliography.

If you cite many articles from the same newspaper, you may group them under the newspaper's name in the bibliography:

Use a 3-em dash (———) for repeated newspaper names, just as you would for repeated author names.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to include page numbers for newspaper articles?

Generally no. Chicago 17 (§14.203) recommends omitting page numbers because newspaper pagination varies between editions and print runs. If your instructor specifically requires page numbers, include them after the date: "June 1, 2023, A12." Use the section letter followed by the page number with no space (A12, not A 12 or sec. A, p. 12).

How do I handle a newspaper article I found through LexisNexis or ProQuest?

Name the database at the end of the citation in place of a URL, unless the database provides a stable permalink. For example: "…Chicago Tribune, March 5, 2020, ProQuest." If a stable document URL or DOI is available, use that instead of the database name.

Should I include an access date for online newspaper articles?

Chicago 17 does not require access dates for most online sources, including newspapers. Include an access date only if the article is undated, the content might change, or your discipline or instructor requires it. Format: "Accessed March 15, 2024."

How do I cite a newspaper article republished on another site?

Cite the original newspaper as the source, even if you encountered it on a news aggregator or another website. If the original publication information is unclear, cite the version you actually consulted and note where you found it. For example: "Originally published in Washington Post, March 1, 2024, reprinted on MSN.com."

What if the article has three or more authors?

In the footnote, list only the first author followed by "et al." In the bibliography, list all authors (up to ten). For example:

Validation Checklist

Before submitting your paper, verify each newspaper citation against this checklist:

Summary

Citing newspaper articles in Chicago 17 is straightforward once you internalize the key differences from journal citations: use full dates instead of volume and issue numbers, omit page numbers, drop "The" from well-known paper names, and add the city for lesser-known publications. For online articles, always include the URL or name the database. History and journalism students working with newspapers as primary sources should include them in the bibliography; for supplementary references, notes-only citation is acceptable.

Use our complete Chicago 17th Edition guide for additional source types and formatting rules, or paste your citation into the checker above to verify your formatting before you submit.