At this time, Newsquest recognizes how essential local, trustworthy journalism is for audiences, which is why you should consider adding your regional Newsquest publication to your Preferred Sources on Google.
Preferred Sources represents one of Google’s recent significant improvements, designed to assist individuals in gaining deeper insight into news and current events happening in their local communities, including surrounding villages, towns and cities.
This new capability within Google Search enables you to personalize your viewing to display additional content from websites you regularly visit within the Top Stories area of search results.
Specifically, these are the sources you access repeatedly, whether for local traffic and sports coverage, announcements about new businesses opening, or updates on local court proceedings and crime news.
Following its introduction in the United States and India, this feature has now been rolled out in the United Kingdom, allowing you to add your local Newsquest publication to your favorites so you don’t miss any stories.
Reasons to add your local Newsquest publication as a Preferred Source on Google
Some of the benefits of making your local Newsquest publication a Preferred Source include:
Keeping informed with the latest breaking news in your area
Accessing the most current transportation information, including road closures, train cancellations and general traffic incidents
Reading comprehensive coverage of topics ranging from court and crime to sports and travel
Discovering new retail and dining options to support local businesses
Staying informed about local happenings from community gatherings to concerts and live performances
Instructions for adding your local Newsquest publication as a Preferred Source on Google
To set this up, follow these simple steps:
Perform a search for a current news topic on Google and select the icon positioned to the right of the Top Stories section (depicted as two small dark squares overlapping with a star in the center)
Search for and choose your Preferred Sources—for example, your local Newsquest website (you may select as many as you prefer)
Reload your results to view additional stories from your chosen sources
Once you’ve made your selections, these sources will appear more regularly in Top Stories or in a separate ‘From your sources’ section on the Google search results page.
Google indicates that content from other sources will still be displayed, and you can adjust your preferences at any time by adding or removing publications as needed.
Have you found the new Preferred Source option on Google for all your local news requirements? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.