Google is making it easier for users to take control of their news consumption with the rollout of a new “Preferred Sources” feature in its Search Top Stories section.
Launched this month in the United States and India, the feature will soon expand globally – including to South Africa – as part of Google’s broader push to give users more customised, trustworthy content in real time.
What is Preferred Sources?
Preferred Sources allows users to choose news outlets they trust and want to see more prominently when they search for current topics.
If selected sources have relevant and timely coverage, their content will appear in a special “From your sources” section at the top of the search results.
“The goal is to help you stay up to date on the latest content from the sites you follow and subscribe to,” said Duncan Osborn, Google’s Product Manager.
Google said the main Top Stories panel will continue to reflect a diversity of sources to ensure balanced perspectives.
How to Use It
Using Preferred Sources is simple:
- Search for a current news topic on Google
- Tap the three-dot icon next to the Top Stories header
- Search for and select your favourite news outlets
- Refresh the page to see personalised results
Users can update or remove selections anytime, and preferences set during early testing phases will automatically carry over.
Why It Matters
For readers, Preferred Sources means less time digging and more time reading trusted reporting.
Early testing showed that over half of users selected four or more sources, suggesting strong demand for tailored, but not siloed, news consumption.
For publishers, this marks a significant opportunity to boost visibility among loyal readers.
Outlets can now encourage followers to add them as a preferred source, increasing the chance of appearing in Search Top Stories results.
Google has also released publisher tools and documentation to help news organisations guide their audiences through setup and promote the feature.
A Shift Toward Smarter Search
The introduction of Preferred Sources comes amid broader changes to how Google serves news and search results, amid rising concerns about misinformation, echo chambers, and content overload.
It’s part of an effort to balance personalisation with editorial diversity, giving users greater agency over what they see, while still upholding journalistic breadth and integrity.
As newsrooms adapt to digital consumption trends, tools like this could reshape how audiences engage with stories – and how publishers grow their base.
Why The South African website should be one of your ‘Preferred Sources’
First established in 2003, The South African has evolved to become one of the most-read websites in South Africa.
We bring you the latest breaking news updates, from South Africa and the African continent.
The South African is an independent, no agenda and no bias online news disruptor that goes beyond the news and behind the headlines. We believe what sets us apart is that we deliver news differently. While we hold ourselves to the utmost journalistic integrity of being truthful, we encourage a writing style that is acerbic and conversational, when appropriate.
The South African has evolved rapidly and is ranked among the largest online news publications in South Africa by the IAB.
Having started as a print edition targeting expats in the United Kingdom, The South African is now run entirely online with our largest readership footprint based in South Africa.
We are independently owned by a private company with no affiliation to any other media group (or political party or religious organisation) and funded mainly through advertising revenue.
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