☀️ Happy Thursday! The Briefing is your guide to the world of news and information. Sign up here!
In today’s email:
- Featured story: Google allows users to personalize the news sources they see
- In other news: Israel airstrike kills Al Jazeera and freelance journalists in Gaza
- Looking ahead: Local TV stations face uncertainty as major broadcasters consider mergers and sell-offs
- Chart of the week: How Americans think of the financial health of their local news outlets
🔥 Featured story
Google has launched a new tool that allows users to personalize their news feed. Users in the U.S. and India can now choose the outlets they want to see featured the most in the search engine’s “top stories” section.
According to a 2024 Center survey, 23% of U.S. adults often get news from search engines, while 43% say they do so sometimes. When asked where they prefer to get news among the platforms they use, 12% say search is their preferred source.
📌 In other news
- Israel airstrike kills Al Jazeera and freelance journalists in Gaza
- Kari Lake defends cuts to international broadcaster Voice of America and U.S. Agency for Global Media in court
- YouTube begins testing AI-powered age verification
- A look at how tribal radio stations are trying to keep operating without Corporation for Public Broadcasting funding
- Truth Social’s AI-powered search tool returns content from Trump-friendly outlets
- How a military newspaper looks to work with a less cooperative Pentagon
- Infowars will be up for sale again
📅 Looking ahead
On Monday, Sinclair announced plans to review its broadcast business, with the possibility of a merger. Sinclair has 178 TV stations across the U.S., many affiliated with major news networks like ABC and CBS. At the same time, sources say the TV broadcaster Nexstar is in advanced talks to buy its rival Tegna, and Byron Allen’s media group has sold 10 local news stations to Gray Media.
While local television stations are still the most common source of local news beyond friends, family and neighbors, the share who often or sometimes get news through local stations has declined from 70% to 64% in recent years, according to a 2024 Center survey.
📊 Chart of the week
A majority of U.S. adults say they think their local news outlets are doing very or somewhat well financially, according to a 2024 Center survey. Americans who prefer to get local news from television are more likely than those who prefer other sources to view the financial health of their local news outlets positively. Three-quarters of those who prefer TV for local news say their local news outlets are doing well financially. Those who prefer news websites, radio and print for local news are less likely to say this.
👋 That’s all for this week.
The Briefing is compiled by Pew Research Center staff, including Naomi Forman-Katz, Jacob Liedke, Christopher St. Aubin, Luxuan Wang, Emily Tomasik, Joanne Haner and Mary Randolph. It is edited by Kirsten Eddy and copy edited by Mia Hennen.
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