"Local news helps us understand the issues that matter in our communities," explained chief executive Mark Zuckerberg on his page on Monday.
The update will initially apply to the US before it is rolled out more widely.
It comes after Facebook announced that it was making posts from businesses, brands and media less prominent.
"Starting today, we're going to show more stories from news sources in your local town or city," Mr Zuckerberg said in his post.
