Negative news articles can wreak serious havoc on your brand or personal reputation—especially when a reputable, high-traffic outlet publishes a story that ranks for your name or company and sits on page one of Google.
If you want to try the DIY route first, you can work through a structured process to request removal or deindexing. Below, we’ll walk you step-by-step through what to do, what typically works, and what to avoid—so you’re prioritizing actions that actually move the needle.
That said, getting stories taken down isn’t common—most newsrooms won’t remove accurate reporting just because it’s unflattering. Your best bet is to pair smart requests with a disciplined suppression strategy that pushes the article out of sight for the searches that matter.
If DIY efforts stall, online reputation management companies can help. You could also involve an expungement or defamation attorney (usually pricier). Specialist partners may remove the piece or, if that’s not viable, launch a suppression campaign to move it off page one—without you having to manage the outreach yourself.
5 Steps To Remove A News Article From The Internet
Removing a news article is doable, but it’s rarely fast. Some steps are straightforward; others require persistence and documentation. Here’s the full process, from triage to long-term suppression:
- Identify All the Articles You Want to Remove
- Request the Online News Publication to Remove the Content
- Ask Google to Remove the News Article
- Suppress the News Article
- Partner with a Reputation Specialist
If timing is critical, we recommend BetterReputation or Reputation Defense Network. Both are known for responsive service and fast execution. BetterReputation tends to be more transparent and affordable, while RDN is broader in scope but typically higher cost.
The Easy Parts of Removing News Articles from the Internet
In the simplest scenario, the publisher removes or updates the story. If they delete it from their site, it will eventually disappear from search results. If they won’t remove it entirely, they might agree to update or redact identifying details (like your name or photos) or add a clear correction or editor’s note.
Sometimes a polite, well-documented request is enough. A short, professional email with dates, docket numbers (if applicable), and links to supporting documents can open the door to edits, updates, or a note about resolved legal matters.
If outreach makes you anxious, online reputation management (ORM) services handle these conversations every day. Hiring one means you focus on approving actions and providing documentation while they coordinate the rest with the right editors.
You can also set up automated monitoring so nothing slips through the cracks. Reputation and media monitoring tools will alert you whenever your name, brand, or key phrases are mentioned online, so you can respond quickly.
The Difficult Parts of Removing News Articles from the Internet
Here’s the tough reality: if the piece was factually accurate when published and remains newsworthy, most outlets will keep it up, especially if it draws substantial readership or links.
Many publishers have strict, multi-step policies for corrections and removals. Others have no formal policy and still decline requests. Either way, the process can feel bureaucratic and slow.
Even if the original article is updated or removed, it may have been syndicated, cited, archived, or widely shared on social media. Follow-ups and rewrites can multiply the footprint quickly, and copies can linger on mirror sites and in web archives.
Google generally needs strong reasons to intervene (e.g., legal, privacy, or policy violations). You may need an attorney and official documentation to support your case. There are no guarantees, and it can be slow and expensive.
Still, removals and successful suppression happen every day. If you don’t plan to hire a specialist (like BetterReputation or Reputation Defense Network), use the step-by-step framework below.
Step 1 – Identify All the Articles You Want to Remove
Removing one negative article is hard enough; removing several requires precision. Start by finding every URL you might need to address—original posts, syndicated versions, rewrites, image pages, and social posts linking to the story. This helps you build a complete plan and prevents you from chasing the same item twice.
Search Yourself on Google
Open an incognito window so results aren’t influenced by your history or logins.
Search the exact headline of the known story in quotes to locate copies and rewrites. Then try variations: your full name, brand name, key executives, and unique identifiers (e.g., phone number, address). Use operators like site: (to check a specific domain), quotes for exact matches, minus to exclude terms, and try intitle: or inurl: to surface hard-to-find copies.
Next, search your name or brand plus topic keywords from the story. Repeat in Google News and Images to catch photo pages or recent coverage that hasn’t hit general search yet. If images are involved, try reverse-image searching to locate reposts.
Monitor Google for New Negative Content
New items may appear while you work the process, especially if the story is viral. Google Alerts is great for near-real-time mentions of your name, brand, and other target keywords.
Create alerts for exact names and common variations. Adjust frequency and sources so you’re not overwhelmed, and check your Alerts dashboard as you progress through the steps below. Use consistent naming so you can quickly triage what needs action.
Keep everything in one place: headlines, URLs, publisher names, and screenshots. This makes follow-up faster and helps if you need to involve legal counsel or prove ongoing harm.
Check Social Media for Article Mentions
Social platforms can surface articles and commentary you might miss in Google. X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook are common places readers share news links; authors often announce new stories there, too. LinkedIn can also surface industry coverage that doesn’t trend elsewhere.
Enter keywords or hashtags, then use the platform’s advanced filters to narrow by date, account, or media type. This helps you find shares, commentary, and derivative posts that may be ranking independently or driving fresh attention.
On Facebook, use the search bar and available filters to isolate relevant posts, groups, or pages mentioning the article.
Also follow the pages and accounts of outlets that cover your industry so you can spot future mentions quickly.
If constant monitoring isn’t realistic, an ORM firm can watch social channels for you and alert you when new posts gain traction.
Make A List of All the Articles
If you’re removing just one story, a simple checklist may suffice. For multiple URLs, use a spreadsheet (Google Sheets or Excel) so nothing slips.
Copy and paste each URL and basic details, then add columns for status and next actions. This becomes your command center for the remaining steps and keeps everyone aligned if you bring in legal or an agency.
Helpful columns to include:
- Webmaster or editor’s name, email, and phone
- Date contacted and follow-up dates
- Decision (removed, updated, declined), notes, and next step owner
This organization keeps you from double-emailing, missing deadlines, or forgetting which version was updated. A few minutes here saves hours later.
Step 2 – Request the Online News Publication to Remove the Content
This step is most practical when you’re addressing one or two stories. For many URLs across multiple outlets, consider delegating to an ORM partner.
Even so, a direct, respectful request can work—especially when you provide documentation and propose reasonable remedies (like redaction or an update rather than full removal).
Find the Publication’s Contact Information
Identify the right person first—often the managing editor, editor on duty, or the author’s editor. Check the site’s masthead or Contact page for role-specific emails. This is far more effective than generic inboxes like contact@ or support@.
Look for a documented corrections or content policy. If one exists, follow it exactly. If not, email the editor with a concise summary and ask the proper channel for submitting a request. Being easy to work with improves your odds.
Make Your Case
Newsrooms have legal and ethical reasons to resist removal of accurate reporting. Common defenses include:
- Newsworthiness defense (the story serves a public interest)
- Substantial truth doctrine (minor inaccuracies don’t alter the gist)
- Wire service defense (reposting from a reputable wire source)
- Fair report privilege (accurate reporting of official proceedings)
- Incremental harm doctrine (additional harm from updates is minimal)
- Opinion and fair comment privilege (clearly labeled opinion)
- Statute of limitations (claims filed too late are barred)
Consult an attorney about these obstacles and your jurisdiction’s rules. For example, some states have short statutes of limitations for defamation claims. If your window has passed, the outlet may refuse removal. An attorney can advise whether expungements, sealed records, or court orders can support an update or redaction request.
If the story is based on official records, the fair report privilege may apply. In those cases, you may still succeed with a request to update the piece to reflect new information, case outcomes, or rehabilitative facts rather than asking for full removal.
Submit Your Content Removal Request
Stay calm and professional. Avoid accusations or profanity. Focus on facts, documented inaccuracies (if any), and tangible harm (e.g., job loss, safety concerns, harassment). Present a clear, chronological summary with links to evidence.
Make a human appeal if appropriate (impact on family, ongoing harassment), and propose specific, workable remedies. If full removal isn’t feasible, suggest redaction of names or images, or a prominent update explaining new developments.
When legal issues are involved, consider having your lawyer submit the request with supporting documents (court orders, expungements, dismissals, or identity theft reports). Many outlets only review one formal request—make it complete.
Be Persistent
If you’re declined or ignored, escalate respectfully. Confirm you’re contacting the right person. If you started with the author, try the section editor. If you started with a generic inbox, find the managing editor or ombudsperson.
Switch channels if needed—phone calls can create urgency where emails get buried. Keep notes, set follow-up dates, and document each response in your spreadsheet to maintain a paper trail.
Persistence matters, but keep the tone professional. Outlets are more receptive when you’re organized, factual, and civil.
Step 3 – Ask Google to Remove the News Article
Google doesn’t own the content it indexes, so it can’t delete the article from the web. In some cases, however, Google will remove or restrict results from search if the content violates legal rights or Google policies.
If successful, the story remains online but becomes far harder to find via Google. This can be a valuable interim step while you work removals or suppression.
Do Your Research
Not all requests qualify. Categories Google commonly evaluates include:
- Outdated content no longer available live on the web
- Exposed personal or highly sensitive information (e.g., government ID numbers, bank account data, doxxing)
- Clear intellectual property violations (copyright or trademark)
- Content that conflicts with applicable court orders
If you’re unsure whether your case qualifies, consult an ORM specialist or attorney before submitting.
Submit Your Removal Request
Use Google’s legal page and select the product (e.g., Google Search). Follow the prompts and provide complete, specific information, including affected URLs and screenshots where useful.
For deeper guidance on special cases, see:
Remove Outdated Content That’s Still Being Indexed
Sometimes Google continues to show snippets or images that no longer match what’s live on the page. For example, a publisher might remove your name or take down a photo, but the old image still appears in Image Search.
Use Google’s outdated content removal tool to request a refresh.
Provide the URL (or image URL) and, if the page still exists, explain what changed. This tool only applies to pages you don’t control and content that is gone or materially different from what Google shows.
After submission, you can check status in the tool. Common statuses include Pending, Approved, Denied, Expired, or Cancelled. Even after approval, Google may need a few days to re-crawl and update the snippet.
Step 4 – Suppress the News Article
When removal isn’t an option, your goal is to bury the negative result beneath stronger, more relevant pages. This means publishing and optimizing positive assets that earn clicks and links, pushing the damaging article to page two or beyond.
Expect this to take consistent effort over several months. If you’re new to keyword research or can’t dedicate the hours, consider scoping the project with an online reputation management company.
Track the Negative Article’s Keywords
Figure out which queries trigger the article (e.g., your full name, brand + “news topic”, executive name + city). That keyword set becomes your target list for optimization and new content. Track rankings weekly so you can see which assets are gaining ground.
If keyword research is new to you, start with our guide to how to research keywords, then use tools to validate search volume and difficulty.
Google Keyword Planner is a solid free option for initial discovery. Pair it with branded modifiers (locations, titles, product names) to map out exactly what you need to rank for.
Optimize Your Existing Content
Updates on assets you already own can move rankings faster than brand-new pages. Refresh and expand your most authoritative pages so they better match the search intent for your branded queries.
Tactics to use:
- Align headings and subheadings with target queries, using plain-language phrasing people actually search for.
- Expand helpful sections to fully answer the searcher’s question, adding data, timelines, and FAQs where gaps exist.
- Add or update images with descriptive alt text and filenames to improve accessibility and relevance.
- Strengthen internal links from high-authority pages using natural anchor text so important pages get crawled and understood quickly.
Create Fresh Content
Publish new, genuinely useful pieces that deserve to rank for your branded and near-branded queries—thought leadership, FAQs, case studies, product explainers, bios, press pages, and multimedia (e.g., a well-optimized YouTube video).
Promote these assets so they earn engagement and links. Over time, stronger, fresher content displaces older articles—especially when yours is more relevant to the query.
While this doesn’t erase the old story, most people won’t see it if it’s buried beyond the first page.
Step 5 – Partner with a Reputation Specialist
If you’ve hit a wall—or you simply want speed and certainty—partner with an expert. ORM firms combine outreach, legal coordination, technical SEO, content strategy, and link building to remove or suppress negative results.
BetterReputation or Reputation Defense Network, or a similar provider can evaluate feasibility, outline timelines, and run the playbook for you.
These teams know exactly who to contact at publishers, what documentation to provide, and how to structure a suppression campaign that actually sticks.
Bottom line: With the right strategy—removal requests where viable, Google requests where appropriate, and a sustained suppression effort—you can significantly limit the visibility of negative news over time.