How to Cite an Interview in MLA 9 Format

How to Cite Interviews in MLA 9 (Works Cited and In Text)

In MLA 9th edition, interviews are cited a little differently depending on how you accessed them. The core goal is always the same, help readers identify who was interviewed, who conducted the interview (if relevant), where it appeared, and how you found it. MLA also wants citations to be consistent so that a Works Cited list can be alphabetized and scanned quickly.

Below are the most common interview situations and the correct MLA 9 formats, with examples and explanations.

What Counts as an Interview in MLA?

MLA treats an interview as information given by a person in response to questions. You might have:

• A personal interview you conducted (in person, phone, Zoom, email)
• An interview published in a magazine, newspaper, or website
• An interview in a video or podcast
• An interview quoted inside another source (a transcript, an article, a documentary)

The citation changes based on whether the interview is “standalone” (the interview itself is the source) or “contained” inside a larger work (a webpage, a journal, a YouTube video, a podcast episode).

The Core Rule: Start With the Interviewee

In MLA, the interviewee is usually treated as the main author because they are the person providing the content. That means the Works Cited entry typically begins with the interviewee’s name, and the first author name is inverted.

Your rules about names matter here:

• Use the person’s name as presented in the source, including initials when used.
• Invert the first author name: Last, First Middle.
• If there are two authors (less common for interviews), use “and” and do not invert the second name.
• If there are three or more authors, use “et al.” after the first author only.

For interviews, you will most often have one interviewee, so the first rule is the one you will use most.

Works Cited Format for a Personal Interview (You Conducted It)

Basic format

Interviewee Last Name, Interviewee First Name Middle. Description of interview. Day Month Year.

MLA commonly uses “Personal interview” as the description. If the interview took place by email or another method, you can specify that, for example “Email interview.”

Example 1: Personal interview (in person or live conversation)

Works Cited

Rivera, Carmen Luisa. Personal interview. 12 Oct. 2024.

In text
- Parenthetical: (Rivera)
- Or in a signal phrase: Rivera explained that …

Why this format works

• Rivera, Carmen Luisa is inverted so the entry alphabetizes under R.
• Personal interview tells readers it is not published and cannot be retrieved by them, which is important for transparency.
• The date helps readers understand when the information was given, since interview responses can change over time.

Practical tip

If you interviewed someone multiple times, include more detail to separate them, such as “Telephone interview” or include the month and year clearly. MLA does not require a location for personal interviews, but clarity is helpful.

Works Cited Format for a Published Interview on a Website

When an interview appears on a website, it is usually a “work in a container.” The interview is the item, and the website is the container.

Basic format

Interviewee Last Name, Interviewee First Name Middle. “Title of Interview.” Website Name, publisher (if different from website name), Day Month Year, URL. Accessed Day Month Year (optional but often useful).

If there is no title, you can write: Interview. or Interview by First Last. as the description.

Example 2: Interview published online (with an interviewer)

Imagine an interview with fictional author Mira Lee, conducted by fictional interviewer Jane Park, published on a fictional site called Literary Voices.

Works Cited

Lee, Mira. “Writing History through Fiction.” Interview by Jane Park. Literary Voices, 8 May 2023, www.literaryvoices.org/interviews/lee-writing-history. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

In text
- Parenthetical: (Lee)
- Or: Lee argues that …

Why these details matter

• Interviewee first: MLA prioritizes the person whose words you are using.
• Title in quotation marks: The interview is a short work within a larger site.
• Website name italicized: The container is a complete work.
• “Interview by Jane Park”: This clarifies who asked the questions. It also helps readers evaluate perspective, since interview questions can shape answers.
• URL: Online interviews often have no stable page numbers, so the URL is essential.
• Accessed date: Not always required in MLA 9, but helpful when web content changes or is updated.

Common pitfall

Do not start the citation with the interviewer if you are mainly using the interviewee’s statements. Start with the interviewee when citing their statements; start with the interviewer only when your discussion focuses on the interviewer’s contribution.

Works Cited Format for a Video Interview (YouTube or Another Platform)

A video interview is also a container situation. You cite the person or group responsible for the content you are using, often the interviewee, sometimes the channel or organization if authorship is unclear.

Basic format (when interviewee is clear)

Interviewee Last Name, Interviewee First Name Middle. “Title of Video.” Website Name, uploaded by Channel or Organization, Day Month Year, URL.

Example 3: Video interview on YouTube (format template)

Works Cited

Interviewee Last Name, First Name. “Video Title.” YouTube, uploaded by Channel Name, Day Month Year, URL.

In text
- Parenthetical: (Interviewee Last Name)
- Or: Interviewee Last Name notes that …

Why this format works

• The interviewee’s name comes first because you are citing their ideas and statements.
• The platform is italicized as the container, here YouTube.
• “Uploaded by” credits the account responsible for publishing the video. This is useful because the uploader can affect reliability and context.

Practical tip

If you are quoting a specific moment, include a time range in your in-text citation when possible. MLA allows time stamps, for example: (Interviewee Last Name 12:14–12:58). If your instructor prefers no time stamps, follow their guidance.

In-Text Citations for Interviews

General rule

In-text citations match the first element of the Works Cited entry, usually the interviewee’s last name.

• (Rivera)
• (Lee)
• (Interviewee Last Name)

If you mention the interviewee in your sentence, you often do not need a parenthetical citation:

• Lee describes revision as “a form of rethinking memory.”

For personal interviews, there are no page numbers. For videos, use time stamps if helpful and allowed.

Why the Name Rules Matter (And How They Apply to Interviews)

MLA uses names as presented in the source and inverts the first author’s name. These rules matter because they:

1. Improve clarity, matching the source helps readers identify the person.
2. Support accurate alphabetizing, inverted first author names keep Works Cited lists consistent.
3. Respect identity, retain the name the person uses in the source.

In interview citations, the interviewee is usually the first element, so invert the name as published: “Rivera, Carmen Luisa” if that is the source’s form, or “Rivera, C. L.” if the source uses initials.

No Title or No Author Situations (Common With Interviews)

Sometimes an interview has no clear title. MLA lets you replace the title with a description like “Interview” or “Interview by Jane Park.” If there is truly no credited interviewee or no identifiable person being interviewed, then you may need to start with the title of the page or video. Follow your no author rule:

• Start with the title.
• Use “Anonymous” only if the source explicitly credits it as the author.
• Do not use “n.d.”

If a webpage has no date, MLA allows you to omit the date and include an access date.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Putting the interviewer first when you are quoting the interviewee. Usually start with the interviewee.
• Changing the published name. Retain the name as presented, including initials.
• Forgetting the container. A website name, platform, or publication title is often required.
• Missing the date. Interviews are time sensitive, include the date when available.
• Treating a transcript like a personal interview. If the transcript is published, cite it as a published source with a container.

Quick Practical Checklist

Before you finalize an interview citation, confirm:

• Who is the interviewee, and how does the source present their name?
• Is the interview personal or published?
• What is the title of the interview or video?
• What is the container (website, journal, YouTube, podcast)?
• Do you have a publication or upload date?
• Do you need a URL or DOI?
• Will a time stamp help readers locate the quote?

If you tell me what kind of interview you are citing (personal, website, video, podcast, email) and share the details you have, I can format the exact MLA 9 Works Cited entry and the matching in-text citation using MLA’s name rules.

Step-by-Step Instructions

To cite an interview in MLA 9, begin with the interviewee, followed by the interview title or a plain description and the applicable publication details. For a personal interview, give the interviewee, the description Interview, and the date.

Common Errors for Interview Citation Mla Citations

A common interview citation error in MLA 9 is confusing the interviewee with the interviewer. Usually begin with the interviewee when citing the interview itself.

Validation Checklist

Special Cases

Overview, what counts as an “interview” in MLA 9

In MLA 9, “interview” can mean several different situations, and the details of the citation change depending on how the interview was conducted and where you found it. The most common categories are:

• Personal interview you conducted (in person, phone, video call, email, text message).
• Published interview (in a book, magazine, newspaper, or website).
• Broadcast or recorded interview (podcast episode, radio segment, TV episode, livestream, YouTube video).
• Interview content inside another work (an interview quoted or excerpted in a documentary, article, or book chapter).

These are “special cases” because the interview is often not a standalone source. It might be embedded in a larger container (a website, a podcast series, a magazine issue), or it might not have stable publication details. MLA’s container system helps you cite what you used while still giving readers a path to find it.

Your author name rules also matter here because interviews often involve multiple people, and it can be unclear who should be treated as the author. MLA’s goal is to make the Works Cited entry easy to alphabetize and easy for a reader to locate.

Special case 1, interviews you conducted (including phone, Zoom, email, texts)

How to cite a live, personal interview you conducted

If you interviewed someone yourself and the interview is not published, MLA treats it as an unpublished interview. You usually list:

• Interviewee as the author, because they are the source of the information.
• The label Interview (or sometimes “Personal interview”) as the title element.
• The date of the interview.
• Optionally, you can add a description of the format in the entry if it clarifies access, such as “Zoom interview” or “Email interview.” Keep it simple.

Why this rule matters: Readers cannot retrieve your private interview the way they can retrieve a book or webpage. The citation’s job is to document what happened, who spoke, and when, so your reader can evaluate credibility and context.

Edge cases

• Email or text interviews: These are still interviews. You can label them “Email interview” or “Text message interview” if it helps clarify the format.
• Ongoing exchange: If an email interview spans multiple days, use the date of the message you are citing most directly, or use the date range if your instructor accepts it. If you use a range, keep it readable and consistent.
• No exact date: Try to recover the date from your records. If you truly cannot, you can omit the date, but that is a last resort because it weakens traceability.

Special case 2, published interviews where the interviewer is credited

A common confusion is whether the interviewer or the interviewee should be the “author.” In MLA, begin with the interviewee when citing their statements. Begin with the interviewer only when your discussion focuses on the interviewer’s contribution, rather than deciding from the byline alone.

A practical approach that works well in MLA 9 is:

• If your discussion focuses on the interviewer’s questions, framing, or other contribution, you can list the interviewer as author and name the interviewee in the title or description.
• When citing the interviewee’s statements, list the interviewee as author and give the interviewer after the title or in an untitled interview’s description.

Why this rule matters: MLA’s lead element should reflect whose contribution you discuss. An interviewer’s byline alone does not justify putting the interviewer first when you cite the interviewee’s statements.

Special case 3, interviews in a container (website, magazine, database, YouTube, podcast)

Most interview citations involve at least one container. Common containers include:

• Website name
• Magazine or newspaper name
• Podcast series title
• YouTube (the platform; credit the channel as uploader)
• Database (if accessed through a library database)

In MLA 9, you cite the interview and then the container details, such as site name, publisher, date, and URL.

Practical tip: If you found an interview on a website that is reposting it from somewhere else, cite the version you actually used. If the repost is incomplete or untrustworthy, look for the original.

Special case 4, interviews without a clear title

Many interviews do not have a formal title, especially audio or video interviews. MLA lets you supply a descriptive title in plain language.

• Write a supplied description in plain text, without quotation marks or italics.
• Keep it short and specific. After the interviewee’s name, “Interview by Jordan Alvarez” can identify the interviewer; “Interview” also works when no interviewer is named.

Why this rule matters: A descriptive title helps readers identify the exact item, especially when a podcast contains many interviews or a channel posts many similar videos.

Special case 5, interviews with multiple people (panels, roundtables, co-hosts)

Interviews can involve multiple interviewees, multiple interviewers, or both. Your author rules become important here.

• If there are two authors for the interview source (for example, two interviewees whose statements you cite), list both, first inverted, second in normal order, joined by and.
• If there are three or more authors, list the first author inverted, then et al.
• If there is no author, start with the title.

Common pitfall: People often list everyone who appears in the interview as authors. MLA does not require that. Begin with the interviewee when citing their statements, and name other key participants in the description if needed.

Special case 6, interviews cited from a transcript versus audio or video

Sometimes you used a transcript, not the recording. Cite what you actually consulted.

• If the transcript is a webpage or PDF, cite it like a web source or document.
• If the transcript is part of a podcast page, the podcast series or website is the container.

Why this rule matters: A transcript can differ from the recording due to edits, corrections, or missing segments. Your citation should match the version you relied on.

Example 1, personal interview you conducted (unpublished)

Works Cited entry (correct formatting):
Nguyen, Lien. Interview. 12 Mar. 2025.

Why it is formatted this way:
- Nguyen, Lien is the interviewee, listed with the first name in full and the first author inverted.
- Interview functions as the title element because there is no published title.
- The date documents when the information was given.

Practical tips and pitfalls:
- Tip: Add a format label only if it helps, such as “Zoom interview.”
- Pitfall: Do not invent a publisher or location. Personal interviews are not published sources.

Example 2, published online interview with no clear title (supplied title)

Works Cited entry (correct formatting):
Cho, Daniel. Interview by Marisol Rodriguez. City Arts Review, 8 Oct. 2024, www.cityartsreview.org/features/interview-daniel-cho.

Why it is formatted this way:
- Cho, Daniel is the interviewee; Marisol Rodriguez is identified as the interviewer in the supplied description.
- The interview has no clear headline, so a supplied descriptive title appears in plain text, without quotation marks or italics.
- City Arts Review is the container (the website).
- The date and URL help readers retrieve the exact page.

Practical tips and pitfalls:
- Tip: Use the page’s publication date, not the date you accessed it, unless your instructor requires an access date.
- Pitfall: Do not change the published name. Retain initials if the source uses them.

Example 3, interview in a podcast episode (format template with episode title)

Works Cited entry (correct formatting):
Reed, Samuel. “The Future of Urban Water, Interview with Samuel Reed.” Interview by Anika Patel. The Policy Lab Podcast, hosted by Carmen Ellis, 19 Feb. 2023. Apple Podcasts, URL.

Why it is formatted this way:
- Reed, Samuel is listed first because this example cites the interviewee’s statements. Anika Patel’s contribution is identified with “Interview by.”
- The episode title is in quotation marks.
- The Policy Lab Podcast is the container (the series).
- “hosted by Carmen Ellis” clarifies a key contributor when relevant.
- The platform and URL help readers locate it.

Practical tips and pitfalls:
- Tip: If there are multiple containers (for example, a podcast on a website and also on Spotify), cite the one you used.
- Pitfall: Do not list every guest, host, producer, and sponsor as authors. Use the credited author or start with the title if none is credited.

Common pitfalls checklist (quick, practical)

• Wrong person as author: Begin with the interviewee when citing their statements, including in published interviews; use the interviewer first when discussing the interviewer’s contribution.
• Missing container details: For online, audio, and video interviews, the container is often the key to finding the item.
• No stable title: Supply a short description without quotation marks or italics.
• Changing published names: Use the source’s form of the name, including initials.
• Overcrowded author lists: Follow the two-author and et al. rules, and keep the entry readable.

Why these rules matter in interviews specifically

Interviews are easy to miscite because they often lack standard publication markers, and they can appear in many formats. MLA’s structure, especially author choice and container details, protects your credibility. It shows exactly what you used, who is responsible for it, and how a reader could locate it. That clarity is the main purpose of interview edge case rules.

If you tell me what kind of interview you are citing (personal, website, podcast, YouTube, or database), and who is credited on the source, I can format a Works Cited entry and an in-text citation that matches your exact case.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite a personal interview I conducted in MLA Works Cited and in-text citations?

For an interview you conducted yourself, MLA treats it as personal communication. In the Works Cited, start with the interviewee’s name, then the descriptor “Interview,” then the date. Example: Smith, Jordan. Interview. 12 Mar. 2025. In your paper, use an in-text citation with the interviewee’s last name: (Smith). If you mention the person in the sentence, you can omit the parenthetical: Smith explained that…. Add context in the prose, such as the interview format (phone, Zoom, email) if it helps readers, but MLA does not require the medium for a personal interview entry. If your instructor wants more detail, you can add “Personal interview” after the name. For official guidance and examples, see MLA’s interview recommendations at the MLA Style Center: https://style.mla.org/citing-interviews/.

How do I cite an interview I found online, like a YouTube interview or a podcast episode, in MLA?

Cite the interview within the container you accessed. For YouTube, usually begin with the interviewee, then the interview title in quotation marks, the italicized site name, the channel or uploader, the upload date, and the URL. Include the interviewee and interviewer in the entry if they are central, often in the title or in a “By” or “Interview by” element when available. For podcasts, usually begin with the interviewee, then give the episode title, the italicized podcast name, the host, the production company if listed, the date, and the URL. In-text citations use the first element of the Works Cited entry, usually the interviewee’s last name. If you quote a specific moment, add a time range in your prose, for example at 12:34. More examples are available from the MLA Style Center: https://style.mla.org/citing-podcasts/ and https://style.mla.org/citing-youtube-videos/.

Do I put the interviewer or the interviewee first in an MLA interview citation?

It depends on whose contribution you discuss. For an interview you conducted, you usually begin with the interviewee because they are the source of the information: Lastname, Firstname. Interview. Date. For a published interview, begin with the interviewee when citing their statements, even if the byline names the interviewer. Begin with the interviewer only when focusing on the interviewer’s contribution, then identify the interviewee in the title or description. MLA’s guidance on interviews and the core elements helps you decide: https://style.mla.org/citing-interviews/ and https://style.mla.org/mla-core-elements/.

How do I cite an email interview or a DM interview in MLA, and do I need to include the message text?

Email and direct message interviews are usually cited as personal communication, similar to a personal interview. In Works Cited, list the sender (your interviewee), then a description like “Email interview” or “Message to the author,” then the date. Example: Patel, Rina. Email interview. 8 Oct. 2024. In-text citations use the sender’s last name: (Patel). You do not include the full message text in the citation, and you generally do not need to reproduce the entire exchange unless your assignment requires an appendix. If the platform matters for clarity, you can specify it in the description, such as “Instagram direct message interview.” Keep privacy in mind, ask permission if quoting sensitive material. For MLA guidance on emails and messages, see: https://style.mla.org/citing-email/.

How do I cite an interview that is quoted inside another source, like a news article that includes interview quotes?

If you did not access the original interview and only read quotes within a news article, cite the news article, not the interview as a standalone source. In your prose, make it clear that the information is reported by the article, for example: In Nguyen’s article, Lopez says…. Your Works Cited entry should be for the article, and your in-text citation should point to the article’s author and page number or location if available: (Nguyen A4) or (Nguyen). Avoid treating the interviewee as the author unless the interview itself is the primary published item you consulted. If you want to emphasize the interviewee’s words, quote them, but still cite the container you actually used. MLA’s advice on indirect sources can help: https://style.mla.org/citing-indirect-sources/.

How do I handle missing details, like no date or no interviewer name, when citing an interview in MLA?

MLA allows you to omit elements you cannot find, but you should still provide enough information for readers to locate the source. If there is no date for an online interview, leave it out and include an access date if your instructor requests it or if the content is likely to change. If the interviewer is not named, do not invent one; begin with the identified interviewee when citing their statements and include the title and container. If the interview has no clear title, you can create a descriptive label in plain text, such as Interview by Firstname Lastname when the interviewer is known, then include the container information. For in-text citations, use the first element of your Works Cited entry, usually the interviewee’s last name. When uncertain, apply MLA’s core elements in order and include what you have: https://style.mla.org/mla-core-elements/ and https://style.mla.org/citing-interviews/.

Last Updated: 2025-12-31
Reading Time: 10 minutes