There’s a new way to get the news you trust. Photo: File.
Readers now have more control over the news they see when they search — and that’s good news for local communities like the Illawarra.
Google has introduced a feature called Preferred Sources, allowing users to nominate the news outlets they trust and want prioritised in search results. It’s a simple setting, but it can influence which voices appear most prominently when stories break.
For readers of Region Illawarra, that matters.
National headlines often dominate online attention. But when decisions affect your area — planning proposals, public service changes, school developments, light rail updates, local business openings or community issues — context is everything. Region Illawarra’s journalists live and work here. They understand the history behind the issues, the key players involved and what decisions mean for the Illawarra.
By selecting Region Illawarra as a preferred source, readers can help ensure local reporting isn’t lost beneath larger outlets covering the same story from afar – and the full story will never be behind a paywall.
The feature doesn’t block other publishers. Instead, it gives you greater influence. When Region Illawarra has relevant coverage, Google is more likely to display it prominently in Top Stories results.
You can set Region Illawarra as your Preferred Source by clicking this link.
For readers who value independent, on-the-ground reporting — and want more control over the stories that shape life in the Illawarra — it’s a small action that can make a meaningful difference.
Original Article published by Karyn Starmer on Region Canberra.
