Google lets users pin preferred news outlets in Top Stories

Google has introduced a “Preferred Sources” feature in Search, allowing users to boost the visibility of news outlets they trust in the Top Stories carousel.

The tool, now in Search Labs testing, adds a star icon beside the Top Stories header, enabling users to search for and add any number of outlets they want to see more often. It is being rolled out for English-language searches in the US and India, with preferences from Google’s June experiment carrying over for those participants.

Alongside the main carousel, some users will see a “From your sources” mini-carousel. Google says the change personalises news results while maintaining automated ranking based on relevance, freshness, prominence, location and authoritativeness. The company stresses that political leaning and commercial relationships do not influence rankings.

For publishers, the update presents both opportunity and uncertainty. Loyal readers who “star” a site could increase referral traffic when searching for breaking news, but Google has not disclosed how much influence user preferences have over the algorithm.

Preferred Sources does not override the core ranking signals, and Top Stories only appears for timely queries. Critics warn that increased personalisation could entrench filter bubbles or reinforce the dominance of large, already trusted outlets.

Industry analysts suggest newsrooms should act quickly to brief loyal audiences on how to add their publication as a preferred source. Publishing promptly on breaking events, highlighting authoritativeness through clear bylines and metadata, and using newsletters and social posts to encourage readers to engage with the new feature could help convert existing loyalty into more consistent search visibility.

Source: Noah Wire Services

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score:
10

Notes:
✅ The narrative is fresh, with the earliest known publication date being August 12, 2025. ([blog.google](https://blog.google/products/search/preferred-sources/?utm_source=openai))

Quotes check

Score:
10

Notes:
✅ No direct quotes were identified in the provided text, indicating potential originality or exclusivity.

Source reliability

Score:
8

Notes:
⚠️ The narrative originates from hdblog.it, an Italian technology blog. While it provides detailed information, its credibility is uncertain due to limited verifiability.

Plausability check

Score:
9

Notes:
✅ The claims about Google’s ‘Preferred Sources’ feature align with recent reports from reputable sources, such as Google’s official blog and major tech news outlets. ([blog.google](https://blog.google/products/search/preferred-sources/?utm_source=openai))

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): OPEN

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM

Summary:
⚠️ The narrative presents fresh information about Google’s ‘Preferred Sources’ feature. However, its origin from hdblog.it, a source with uncertain credibility, and the lack of direct quotes raise concerns about its reliability. Further verification from more reputable sources is recommended.