So You Want to Cite a Chicago Newspaper Article? Buckle Up, Buttercup, It's Not Brain Surgery (But It Can Feel Like It)
Let's face it, citations. The bane of every student's existence. You've finally finished that killer research paper on the Great Chicago Hot Dog Debate (ketchup? Absolutely not!), but now you're staring down the barrel of reference hell, specifically the fiery depths of Chicago-style newspaper article citations.
Fear not, intrepid scholar! With a little know-how and a whole lot of laughter (because seriously, who decided referencing could be this dramatic?), we can navigate this together.
The Chicago Way: Smooth and Sophisticated (Except When It's Not)
Here's the gist: Chicago style prefers footnotes over a giant bibliography at the end. Fancy a footnote, eh? Here's what you need to know:
- Author, Author: First up, the author's name. Last name, then first name, just like always. Bonus points if you can find a cool pen name like "Scoop McGee" or "Brenda Butterknife."
- Headline Honcho: Next comes the article title. Put it in quotation marks, because hey, it's practically a mini-story in itself.
- The Windy City's Finest: Then, the newspaper's name. Chicago Tribune? Sun-Times? Make sure you spell it right, or risk public shaming by the ghost of Al Capone (probably).
- The Timey-Wimey Stuff: Date of publication. Month, day, and year – gotta give credit where credit's due (and avoid accusations of time travel).
- Web Wanderer (Optional): If you snagged the article online, include the URL at the end. But honestly, who reads newspapers online anymore?
Here's an example to tickle your fancy:
- Mike Ditka (yes, the football legend!), "Da Bears Are Back, Baby!" Chicago Tribune, January 1, 2024. https://www.chicagotribune.com/
See? Easy, right? Almost. Chicago style likes to keep things neat and tidy, so forget about page numbers. Newspapers aren't exactly known for their precise pagination (unless you count the coupons section, which is a whole other story).
Things Get Weird: Authorless Articles and More!
Now, life's not always sunshine and citations. Sometimes, articles don't have an author. In that case, start with the title in quotation marks. The world may never know who penned that groundbreaking exposé on the best deep dish pizza place, but at least you'll be following Chicago style.
There's also the question of multiple authors. If it's two or three, list them all separated by commas. Four or more? Just use the first author's name followed by "et al." (which is Latin for "and others," because apparently Chicago loves a little foreign flair).
You've Got This!
So there you have it, folks. A crash course in Chicago-style newspaper article citations, delivered with a healthy dose of humor (because who wants to be stressed about referencing?). Remember, the key is to stay calm, cite on, and maybe treat yourself to a Chicago-style hot dog after you're done. You deserve it!
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