GOOGLEPLEX, California (Michigan News Source) – For years, when you searched for the news, Google has acted like your personal news DJ, spinning whatever headlines its mysterious algorithm decided you should see and hear – almost always with a political tilt to the left. The result left the same handful of outlets hogging the spotlight, from CNN and The New York Times to USA Today, The Washington Post, the AP, and the other usual suspects of national, left-leaning news.
No more forced feeds.
But that era of algorithmic hand-holding is over. Enter “Preferred Sources,” Google’s shiny new feature that lets YOU choose your own news outlets you want your information from, kicking Big Tech’s bias to the curb. Yes, Google’s new feature lets you handpick your own go-to news outlets – whether it’s a Michigan-based newsroom or any other publications you actually trust, including your local community newsrooms.
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In the Google Blog online, they announced the new feature on August 12 saying, “Everyone has their own preferences about where and how they get their news, so we’re launching a new feature in Search that lets you customize your experience to see more from your favorite sites within Top Stories.”
Preferred Sources is a full-blown customization tool that elevates the outlets you actually trust near the top of your search results. That means less doomscrolling through clickbait you didn’t ask for. It’s less of what Google thinks is relevant – and more of what matters to YOU – like Michigan News Source covering your statewide politics, local heroes, and stories national outlets can’t be bothered to touch.
How it works.
Think of Preferred Sources as your own VIP section on Google. You’ll still see the usual search results, but under the “Top Stories” tab, you’ll get a special feed labeled “From Your Sources,” showcasing stories only from the outlets you’ve handpicked. This way, when you want to know what your trusted newsrooms are saying about a topic, it’s a whole lot easier to find their stories without sifting through the rest of the noise.
With mobile devices now driving nearly 57% of all web traffic, according to Digital Silk – a leading creative agency for custom websites and marketing – we’re here to show you how to set up Michigan News Source as a Preferred Source right on your phone. Just keep in mind, you’ll need to be signed into a Google account to use the new Preferred Sources feature in Google Search.
- Go to google.com and search for a news topic, like “Michigan politics.”
- Tap your profile picture in the top right corner.
- Scroll down and tap “search personalization.”
- Scroll again and select “source preferences.”
- Search for the source (Michigan News Source) by name or type in the website’s homepage URL and then click on the checkbox. Repeat with other news sources you wish to add.
- Reload your Google search and enjoy seeing results from the outlets you selected, displayed right beneath the usual Google-curated listings.
You can add multiple outlets, edit your list anytime, and finally stop feeling like your search results are being curated by a Silicon Valley intern with a sociology degree and a stake in who wins the next elections.
Why this matters: local journalism gets a fighting chance.
Google’s search dominance has long been blamed for starving local journalism and burying regional reporting under national clickbait. Preferred Sources changes that. By putting outlets like Michigan News Source in the spotlight of your search results, you’re getting closer to the stories that actually interest and affect you.
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National outlets aren’t going to cover your city council drama, that shady zoning vote, or the fact your governor’s latest green energy stunt is costing taxpayers millions. State and local reporters will. Preferred Sources is a small but mighty step toward making sure their work doesn’t get drowned out.
Snark aside, this is power back in your hands.
For years, Big Tech has controlled what Americans see and read, whether we liked it or not. Now, with a few clicks, you can wrestle some of that control back. You get to decide if you’d rather see Michigan- centered reporting over coastal punditry, and hard facts from your trusted national news outlets instead of curated outrage from liberal sources.
If you need more instruction on how to set things up on your phone or computer, you can go to the Google Blog or watch the great video here from TechPP.
