How Do I Cite Material Posted On A Social Media Platform Like ...

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How do I cite material posted on a social media platform like Instagram?

Below are examples of citations for various types of works posted on Instagram. For explanations, see our post on citing social media.

Post

Michael Chabon paid tribute to Milton Glaser by posting one of the designer’s iconic images on Instagram.

Work Cited

Chabon, Michael. “#rip Milton Glaser. I grew up in his work. So hard to pick a favorite, maybe this, which also features one of the many awesome typefaces he designed, Baby Teeth. #mahaliajackson #miltonglaser.” Instagram, 28 June 2020, www.instagram.com/p/CB-E9gngVwo/.

Photograph

Angie Thomas posted a photo of a burned copy of her book The Hate U Give, the only item to survive a young fan’s house fire.

Work Cited

Thomas, Angie. Photo of burned copy of The Hate U Give. Instagram, 4 Dec. 2018, www.instagram.com/p/Bq_PaXKgqPw/.

Video

In Hamilton, when the colonists rebel against England, King George expresses his feelings in a humorous solo. “Remember we made an arrangement when you went away. Now you’re making me mad,” he sings (Hamilton Videos).

Work Cited

Hamilton Videos [@hamilton.vods]. Video of King George in Hamilton. Instagram, 5 July 2020, www.instagram.com/p/CCPEUJLDz0l/.

Profile

You can learn more about the author of Bad Feminist on her Instagram account (Gay).

Work Cited

Gay, Roxane. “Posts.” Instagram, 2020, www.instagram.com/roxanegay74/.

Highlight

Hilla Rebay, the first director of the Guggenheim, is featured in the highlighted story “People” on the museum’s Instagram account (Guggenheim Museum).

Work Cited

Guggenheim Museum. “People.” Instagram, 2020, www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17850044881917911/.

Story

The Museum of Modern Art promoted its custom playlists with a photo of Fernand Léger’s The Three Musicians in an Instagram story (Museum of Modern Art).

Work Cited

The Museum of Modern Art. Image of Fernand Léger’s The Three Musicians. Instagram, 14 July 2020, www.instagram.com/stories/themuseumofmodernart/2353246125954046321.

Note that Instagram stories disappear after twenty-four hours unless the creator saves them as a highlight. You can still cite unsaved stories by providing a description of the image or video, the date it was posted, and the URL of the story. The example under the heading “Story” above shows an unsaved Instagram story.

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