A Canberra Times analysis of five years of reports on territory government advertising campaigns by an independent reviewer shows some $6,098,850 was spent on advertising from July 2012 to June 30 this year.

The reports also show Chief Minister Andrew Barr, as minister responsible, ramped up the government's "Our Canberra, Our Community" newsletter from a quarterly newsletter to a monthly one in November 2015, a year before the 2016 election.

Mr Barr's spokesman said the change followed a survey showing 21 per cent of Canberrans preferred to get information in mail-outs, 18 per cent preferred social media and 15 per cent preferred television advertising.

"The Our Canberra newsletter is delivered monthly to all Canberra households, to communicate in a timely manner directly with Canberrans on government news, initiatives and services," he said.

That newsletter costs about $44,000 to print and mail-out, with the reports showing that since the November 2015 change, the government has spent about $616,000 on it.

Across the five years of reports, the reviewer looked at advertising campaigns valued up to $601,567 in the second half of 2012, $852,434 in 2013, $397,973 in 2014, $1,077,606 in 2015, $1,097,574 in 2016 and $1,631,479 in the first half of 2017.

In most of his six-monthly reports, the reviewer recommended minor wording changes to campaign advertising materials, and despite some concerns around light rail advertisements, ultimately approved it as it did not breach the guidelines.

Those reports mostly show campaigns costing $40,000 or more, with smaller order campaigns not needing to be referred for review, with the advertising ranging from new land releases to newsletters and brochures on annual territory budgets.

The reports also show the independent reviewer, at that time Derek Volker, reminding the government twice in his July to September 2012 report that social media was not covered by the campaign advertising guidelines.

One of those reminders included Mr Volker writing that "I was advised that messages would be tweeted from Treasurer Andrew Barr's twitter account" during a campaign on the government's tax reform agenda.

"The use of social media is not directly covered in the Act and guidelines," he wrote.

"Consideration might be given to whether the guidelines should give guidance on this topic."

But it seems neither Mr Barr, nor his predecessor as chief minister Katy Gallagher, acted on that advice until some time in the past three months, with Mr Barr's spokesman saying a review began "this financial year".

The review, he confirmed, would not examine any potential cap on government spending on advertising campaigns, but would look at the use of social media in future campaigns, with a view to changing the relevant guidelines in the first half of next year.

It is unclear whether or not that review is being completed within the chief minister's office, his directorate, or independent of government, or whether a report of the review will be released publicly.

Mr Barr's spokesman said the chief minister had been "clear that he expects the government to communicate and consult effectively with the community".

"Appropriate advertising and promotion is an integral part of the communication activities undertaken by government agencies to ensure the public is well informed," he said.

He said the review would "modernise the guidelines so they continue to be relevant given the emergence of modern communication methods".

The top 10 advertising campaigns approved across the five years were:

$821,038 on the Ginninderry development brand launch (40 per cent paid by Corkhill Bros, the government's joint venture partner) in early 2017;

$301,642 on a Throsby over-the-counter sales campaign in early 2017;

$292,500 on the Ricky Starr television recycling awareness campaign in late 2015;

$256,329 on the Throsby over-the-counter sales campaign in late 2016;

$200,000 on swimming pool safety, in late 2016, in response to a coronial inquest;

$200,000 on the Centenary of Canberra after the election in late 2012;

$200,000 on the auction of five blocks of land at the Campbell 5site in 2014;

$198,691 on an earlier Throsby land sales campaign in late 2015;

$154,814 on the launch and promotion of Denman Prospect land sales in early 2015;

$130,000 on a Medicare "change your address" campaign in late 2012.