Google News now highlights local sources for local news

Google is working on improving its core Google News service by attempting to incorporate hyperlocal results in the news feed. News stories from local news sources will now be tagged as “Local Source” on Google News on the web as well as on the iOS and Android apps. The update to Google News will now source information from local sources and “hyperlocal blogs” to present a more local picture of a situation. In their blog, Google says, “With more than 75,000 news sources, many of the publishers in Google News specialize on specific topics and locales. The local section in Google News surfaces content from regional papers to hyper-local blogs that otherwise wouldn’t appear in national news.” Attempting to justify the move, Google quite rightly points out that once a news source of any importance, such as a national news service, picks up a piece of local news, the local source is lost. Google’s algorithm will help solve that problem and will help local sources gain recognition and bring them greater exposure. Google also adds, “at Google News we are committed to connecting people to the news that matters most to them—be that local, national or international.”