Do Magazines Need to Be Italicized?

When it comes to proofreading or typesetting text, particular attention is often given to the formatting of magazines and titles of books, academic papers, or films. A common question arises: Do magazines have to be italicized? The simple answer is: it depends.

The style guides most widely used in publishing and academia, such as the Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) and the Modern Language Association's Style Manual (MLA), do offer guidelines on how to handle titles, but they don't mandate italics for magazines.

Chicago Manual of Style Guidelines

The CMOS suggests using quotation marks or italics for publication titles. It does not require italics specifically for magazines. Here's how it recommends formatting:

an info sheet with the words create your own magazine

Event Description Page Design, Golf Magazine Layout, Design Layout Magazine, Magazine Article Pages, Text Heavy Design, Magazine Article Layout Design, Text Heavy Layout Design, Copy Heavy Layout Design, Classic Magazine Design

'Publication Title' (italics optional) or Publication Title, depending on your preference or your publication's style requirements.

Commas and Quotation Marks

According to CMOS, you should use commas and quotation marks around the title of a specific issue of a magazine, for example: "April 2022, Issue 123," New York Times.

an article in the magazine is shown with black and white text on it, including two letters

Similarly, it recommends using quotation marks around the title of a magazine when it's used as an adjective, e.g., "New Yorker" humor.

No Italics for Magazine Names

CMOS does not require italics for the name of the magazine itself. So, if a discussion mentions "Time" frequently, you may use it without italics, provided it's clear that you're not referring to the concept of time.

Modern Language Association Guidelines

The MLA also does not insist on italicizing magazine names, but rather provides a different approach:

an article in a magazine with writing on it

a woman is sitting on the floor with her legs crossed and eyes closed, in front of a magazine cover

the front cover of style magazine, with red lettering on it and an image of a woman

magazines with the title how to get published in magazines written on them, and pictures of women's hats

the article is written in black and white

an article from the magazine in conversation with cate w

In MLA 8th edition, use italics for book and film titles, but use quotation marks for article titles in magazines and journal entries:

-efficacy of the new vaccine," The Lancet 394.10246 (2020): 793-801.

Magazine Names in MLA

When referring to the magazine itself, MLA recommends not using any special formatting. For example: In her article, the author manifests her strong stand against violence, as published in "The Atlantic."

an advertisement for the rise of the accessory, featuring black and red lettering on white paper

a magazine cover with a beautiful blonde woman on it's front page and an advertisement for

the front page of an article about comfort zone

an article in spanish that says girl next door, with black and white lettering on it

an article in the magazine is shown with text

a yellow book cover with the words who wants to be a library it girl?

the power of woman is featured in an article about women's fashion and style

this is not a fashion magazine, this is you and me talking

the front page of an article with black and white text, which reads love longer than hair

some kind of wonderful magazine cover with black and white text

an advertisement with the words it's not what it was written in red and black

Title Case for Magazines

Both CMOS and MLA suggest using title case for magazine names, meaning that major words are capitalized. This style is recommended for clear and consistent formatting in academic writing.

Thus, when writing or typesetting, remember that whether to italicize magazine names depends on the citation style and the specific magazine or article title in question. Always consult your preferred style guide for accurate and consistent formatting.