Bibliographic reference format question

wombat · May 2, 2008

I don't know if this is the right place to ask this, but since I can't find it after a lot of web searching, I figure it's not a basic or frequently asked writing question - I must need an expert!

I am trying to find out how to cite an Associated Press story. It doesn't seem to make sense to cite some particular newspaper that it appeared in, because that would just be a random choice - if it appeared in dozens of papers, why choose a particular one? So can I just say "Associated Press" and try to figure out the earliest date it appeared? Or what?

Note that I asked my friend who's been at the AP for many years and she doesn't know. Why should she, I guess.

Appalachian Writer · May 2, 2008

Both the Modern Language Association and the American Psychological Association have websites that will answer your question re: formatting works cited. Take a look.

wombat · May 2, 2008

I have looked at several sites that discuss various reference styles (Chicago, APA, etc) and can't find the answer to this specific question. Do you know for a fact that they answer this question somewhere if I keep looking? I can't get onto the MLA site itself but I found this elsewhere, which was the closest approach to my question:

How do I cite content in a printed or online newspaper, republished from a newswire service?

Finally, articles written by newswire services like AP are frequently used within printed and online newspapers. In your citation, the name of the newswire service should NOT be given as the author, even if no individual author is named. However, the MLA Handbook does not provide any guidance about how or if the newswire service should be credited in this case. The title of the newspaper must be given as the title of the printed newspaper or Web site (for example New York Times or New York Times on the Web). If you would like to indicate the newswire service as well, you may add it directly after the title of the article, as in:

"Obese Moms' Tots at Higher Risk." Associated Press. San Francisco Chronicle 6 July 2002: A2.

This is not an answer to my question so much as an answer to the opposite of my question, but it doesn't give me confidence that direct access to the whole MLA stylebook will help.

Perhaps I should mention that I was an academic researcher in a previous life. I don't need help with general stuff about reference formatting, I need an answer to this specific case.

Bibliographic reference format question

wombat

wombats galore

Appalachian Writer

Somewhere in the hills....

wombat

wombats galore