Help with Your Subscription
This help section has been written to assist both first-time and regular subscribers in getting the most out of the australia.gov.au Government Media Release Service.
Setting up a subscription is a simple 4 step process.
Step 1 - Enter Your Email Address for Notification Messages
Type in the email address you would like the daily notification media alert message sent to. If you would like the notification email to be sent to several email addresses you will need to set up a separate subscription for each email address.
Please note that email addresses supplied will only be used for the purpose for which they are provided. Please see our Privacy statement if you require further information.
Step 2 - Enter Your Topic Term or Terms (optional)
This step in the registration process is optional. If you would like to receive media alerts relating to a particular topic you can specify a single keyword or phrase. This will mean that you will only receive media releases containing the keyword or phrase you have entered.
For example, if you would like to receive media alerts relating to education or health or climate change you would enter education into the Topic 1 box, health into the Topic 2 box and climate change into the Topic 3 box. You would then receive media releases with at least one of the words education, health or climate change in them.
Multiple subscriptions
You can enter up to four keyword of phrase topics per subscription. Instead of composing complex query structures, if you would like to receive media alerts relating to more than four topics, you can create additional subscriptions.
Complex queries
You can also use the following search term operators when entering your topic term:Hash: grant#
By placing a hash at the end of a topic term, you will receive media releases that contain that term as well as any releases that contain a recognised variation, such as a plural or adjective form of the term (even if that form alters the spelling of the core term). For example, if you would like to receive media alerts relating to grants grant# into the search box.
Asterisk: tax*.
By placing an asterisk(s) before and/or after a topic term, you will receive media releases that contain that term as well as any releases that contain that term as part of a larger word (where the extra letters are positioned in place of the asterisk(s). For example, if you would like to receive media alerts relating to tax or taxation or taxes, you would enter tax* into the search box.
Minus sign: foreign -affairs.
By placing a minus sign in front of a topic word, media releases that contain the word before the minus sign will be returned but not in conjunction with the word following the minus sign. For example, if you were to type in foreign-affairs, media releases containing the word foreign will be returned but not those that contain the term foreign affairs.
Back quotes: `mental health funding`.
By placing words between back quotes, media releases that contain all of the words in any order within 15 words of each other will be returned. For example, if you would like to receive media alerts relating to funding for mental health, you would enter `mental health funding` into the search box.
Step 3 - Select Your Portfolios
This step is essential if you would like to receive media alerts from specific portfolios. If you do not specify a particular portfolio or portfolios, the default is set to all portfolios. You will then receive daily notification of media releases from all portfolios indexed by this service.
If you would like to select a particular portfolio/s, simply untick the box at All Portfolios then tick the box next to the portfolio/s in which you are interested.
Click on the 'send' button. You will then receive an email asking you to activate your subscription.
Step 4 - Activate Your Subscription
After we receive your request, you will be sent an email asking you to activate your subscription by clicking on a link. This step verifies your consent to receive these alerts in accordance with the Spam Act 2003.
Any subscription which is not activated within 24 hours of the original request will be automatically deleted.
After activating your subscription you will receive confirmation of your subscription details and your subscription will commence immediately.
