Google is introducing a “Preferred Sources” feature in the U.S. and India, letting users choose their favorite news sites and blogs to appear in the Top Stories section of search results. According to the company, enabling it will surface more content from those selected sources.
Personalize Top Stories with Your Favorite Sources
When searching for a topic, users will notice a “star” icon next to the Top Stories section. Tapping it allows them to add sources by searching for them.
After selecting sources, they can refresh the results to display more content from those choices. For certain queries, Google says a separate “From your sources” section will also appear below Top Stories.
The feature lets users access information from their preferred sources, but it also risks creating an ideological echo chamber by limiting exposure to diverse perspectives on a topic.
Search Labs Experiment Shows Strong Interest in Multiple Sources
Initially launched in Search Labs as an experimental, opt-in tool, Google reported that over half of participants during testing chose four or more sources.
The company is now rolling out the feature to all users for English-language searches in the U.S. and India.
TechCrunch invites readers to share their perspectives and feedback on its coverage and events by completing a survey, offering participants a chance to win a prize.
Read the original article on: TechCrunch
Read more: Google Finance Gets AI-Powered Makeover with Real-Time News Feed