how to cite a news release in apa

Daniel Parker

3 min read

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18-01-2025

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News releases, those official announcements distributed by organizations, often contain valuable information for research. Knowing how to properly cite a news release in APA style ensures academic integrity and allows your readers to easily verify your sources. This guide will walk you through the process. Understanding APA citation for news releases is crucial for any academic paper relying on such information.

What Information Do You Need?

Before you start, gather the necessary information from the news release itself. Not all news releases provide all these details, so do your best to find as much as possible. You'll need:

• Author: If an author is listed, include their name. If not, use the organization's name.
• Date: The date the news release was issued.
• Title: The title of the news release.
• Source: The name of the organization that issued the news release.
• URL or Retrieval Information: The website address where you accessed the news release, or other details explaining how you accessed it if it wasn't online.

Basic APA Citation for a News Release

The most common scenario involves an online news release. The general format for this is:

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of news release. [News release]. Source. URL

Let's break this down with an example:

Example 1: Online News Release with Author

Smith, J. (2023, October 26). New Study Reveals Link Between Coffee and Increased Productivity. [News Release]. Acme Corporation. https://www.acmecorp.com/press-releases/2023-10-26-coffee-productivity

Example 2: Online News Release Without Author

Acme Corporation. (2024, January 15). Acme Announces Record-Breaking Profits. [News Release]. Acme Corporation. https://www.acmecorp.com/press-releases/2024-01-15-record-profits

Example 3: PDF News Release

If the news release is a PDF downloaded from a website:

Acme Corporation. (2024, March 8). Acme Launches New Sustainability Initiative. [News Release]. Retrieved from https://www.acmecorp.com/press-releases/2024-03-08-sustainability.pdf

Handling Different Scenarios

Here are some specific situations you might encounter and how to handle them in your APA citation:

News Release from a Wire Service (e.g., PR Newswire)

When citing a news release distributed through a wire service, include the wire service as the source.

Example:

PRNewswire. (2023, November 10). Tech Startup Secures $10 Million in Funding. [News Release]. Retrieved from https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tech-startup-secures-10-million-in-funding-302000000.html

News Release Accessed Through a Database

If you accessed the news release through a database like LexisNexis or ProQuest, include the database name and retrieval information.

Example:

Smith, J. (2023, December 5). Company Announces New Product Line. [News Release]. LexisNexis. Retrieved from [Database Access Information]

News Release with No URL

If the news release doesn't have a URL, you'll need to provide a description of where you obtained it.

Example:

Smith, J. (2024, April 2). Local Business Expands Operations. [News Release]. Press kit received from Smith & Jones Inc., April 2, 2024.

In-Text Citations

Remember to include an in-text citation whenever you refer to information from a news release. For example:

• With author: (Smith, 2023)
• Without author: (Acme Corporation, 2024)

Use the same information provided in the reference list. Always make the connection clear between the in-text citation and the information in your reference list.

Key Considerations

• Accuracy: Double-check all information for accuracy before including it in your citation.
• Consistency: Maintain consistency in your APA style throughout your entire work.
• Accessibility: Your citation should enable others to find the same news release you used.
• Date: Always include the date of the news release, not the date you accessed it.

By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your citations are accurate, consistent, and complete, reflecting proper academic practice. Using these guidelines will help ensure your work meets APA standards for referencing news releases.