RALEIGH, N.C. - WRAL introduced 'My WRAL' this week, a new user dashboard designed to provide a personalized experience on WRAL.com for North Carolinians and those who care about what's happening in the state. 

The free dashboard, now available to the public in beta, offers seamless account creation, location-saving capabilities, and a personalized newsfeed aimed at making local news consumption more relevant and convenient. 

A solution for information overload 

Online news websites can often feel overwhelming, forcing users to sift through stories or weather updates that don't apply to them. As user needs vary from the coast to the piedmont to the mountains, WRAL users now have an easier way to quickly access the news and information that matters most to where they live, work, and travel across the state. 

How My WRAL works 

The dynamic dashboard empowers users to create a personalized local news hub. Similar to the WRAL Weather app, after signing up for a free My WRAL account, users can save their favorite locations, whether that's home in Cary, work in Durham, a child’s school or a relative's house. The dashboard then displays weather information relevant to those saved locations. Features and functionality will continue to be added over time. 

A key feature of My WRAL is that once users set their preferred locations, those settings automatically carry over throughout their logged-in browsing experience. 

Key features at launch include: 

  • Easy account signup with email
    • Saved locations including integration with WRAL's interactive radar and other weather tools 
      • Personalized news feed based on what you’re most interested in 
        • Bookmark stories for quick access or to finish reading later 
          • Recent alerts so you can stay up on the latest 

            My WRAL represents the first phase of WRAL's vision to build a personalized local information hub. Future features will be shaped by direct feedback from users, and there is planned expansion to other platforms. 

            "At WRAL, we've always believed in the power of local news to connect and inform," said WRAL Vice President & General Manager Heather Gray. "With My WRAL, we're creating an experience that grows with our audience. Whether you're tracking weather for your morning commute, monitoring conditions where your college student lives, or keeping tabs on your hometown, this dashboard becomes more valuable the more you use it. We're building a destination our audience will return to for years to come." 

            Director of Technology at WRAL Pete Sockett emphasized that this is just the beginning. "We're just getting started with My WRAL. Our team has many ideas about what we can surface for users, but we want to build based on what our audience needs and wants.” 

            “All of this was made possible by the modernized technology foundation we've created,” added Sockett. “It’s scalable and flexible, allowing us to rapidly develop and deploy new features as we learn from our users. My WRAL puts us in a position to continue to build on our history of innovation in local news." 

            Getting started 

            Users can visit wral.com/my-wral to learn more about the benefits and create a free My WRAL dashboard. Users will be asked to enter an email address to verify their identity and enable personalization of their news experience. The zip code entered during onboarding becomes the default location for weather data within the dashboard and across the site.

            Users can add a total of three locations with nicknames. The dashboard also includes easy access to Report It, a tool for sending news tips directly to the WRAL team, and newsletter preferences. 

            Frequently Asked Questions 

            Is there a cost to use My WRAL? No. My WRAL is free for all WRAL.com users. 

            I already have a WRAL.com account. Do I need to do anything different? Simply sign in with your email address to access My WRAL.  

            Can I save multiple locations? Yes. Users can up to three locations at launch. 

            How is my personal information protected? WRAL does not sell user information to third parties and adheres to strict privacy standards. Full details are available in the company’s Privacy Policy. 

            How can I provide feedback? Use the feedback tool linked in the My WRAL dashboard (bottom of the dashboard), which connects directly to WRAL's support system. 

            Is My WRAL available on the WRAL mobile apps? My WRAL is currently available only on WRAL.com. Mobile app integration is planned for a future update.  

            What happens if I log out of my account? When you log out, your personalized settings are saved but your weather data will reset to the default Raleigh location on the site until you log back in.  

            Can I delete my account or my saved data? Yes. You can delete your account data at any time through your Account Settings on the My WRAL dashboard. If you sign in again after deleting your data, you'll go through the onboarding process as a new user.  

            What information does My WRAL ask me to provide? During the initial setup, you'll be asked to provide your email address (for login), zip code and name. You can also add your birthday in your account settings.