I’m far from Google’s biggest fan. In fact, I have a well-earned reputation as an outspoken critic. But I believe my criticism comes from a position of fairness and balance. When Google does something right, I want to highlight that as well. This is one such occasion. I see what Google is trying to do for news and publishing , and I’m almost perfectly aligned with their vision. Amidst the AI upheaval and the barrage of announcements coming out of Google these last few years, you may have missed a common thread among many of the search giant’s new features. Let’s take a look at some of the shiny new toys that Google is giving to publishers, and see if you can spot the trend: 1. Preferred Sources First announced in August 2025  and rolled out globally in April 2026 , this mechanism enables users to pick specific publishers that they want to see more of in Google’s results.…