How to Cite an Interview in APA Format

Citing an interview in APA format depends on whether the interview is published (recoverable by readers) or personal (not recoverable). Published interviews appear in magazines, newspapers, podcasts, or other media. Personal interviews are cited only as in-text citations.

Basic Interview Citation Format

The standard APA 7th edition format for a published interview citation is:

Reference list entry:

Interviewee, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of interview [Interview]. In Publication or Platform Name. https://www.example.com/interview

Parenthetical in-text citation: (Interviewee, Year)

Narrative in-text citation: Interviewee (Year)

In-Text Citation Examples

When you reference an interview within your paper, you have two options:

• Parenthetical: The author discussed the origins of the novel (Morrison, 2019).
• Narrative: Morrison (2019) discussed the origins of the novel.

Common Variations

Published Interview in a Magazine or Newspaper

Cite the interview as you would an article in that publication, adding [Interview] after the title.

Obama, B. (2023, November 15). Reflections on leadership [Interview]. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/interview/example

Broadcast or Podcast Interview

Interviewer, A. A. (Host). (Year, Month Day). Title of episode (No. xx) [Audio podcast episode]. In Podcast Name. Publisher. https://www.example.com

Personal Interview (Not Published)

Personal interviews are not included in the reference list because readers cannot recover them. Cite them only in the text.

In-text: (J. Smith, personal communication, March 15, 2026)

Tips for Citing Interviews

• Published interviews go in the reference list. Personal interviews do not.
• Use the format of the source (magazine article, podcast, video) to determine the citation structure.
• Credit the interviewee as the author unless the interview is part of a series hosted by the interviewer.
• For personal interviews, include the interviewee’s initials and last name, “personal communication,” and the date.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite an interview I conducted myself? Personal interviews are cited only in-text as personal communications. They do not appear in the reference list.

What if the interview is published on YouTube? Cite it as an online video, using [Interview] in the description brackets: [Video interview].

Should I cite the interviewer or the interviewee? Generally, cite the interviewee as the author unless the interviewer is the primary creator of the content (as with a podcast host).