Google News gets more personal with desktop redesign

Image: Google

On its 20th birthday, the news service has been refreshed with a new look that gives more prominence to local news.

The blue "customize" button in the right hand column makes it easy for users to modify the topics they are shown. To add multiple locations to the Local News section, they need to hit the settings button to the right.

The biggest change is that various categories of news have been moved from the left-hand side of the screen to a menu bar at the top. You can see the before and after pictures of the new design.

Image: Google

The "Fact Check" section has been expanded to highlight debunkings of claims from Full Fact. Most visitors won't see it at the bottom of the home page.

I think the redesign of the news site makes it look more like a newspaper than an RSS feed. It is a welcome change.