One of the pet hates of some of our Media Glass House researchers is the habit of some news websites when trying to encourage readers to click on a particular story to tell them “Here’s what you need to know.”

The use, or more correctly the overuse, of that line really gets up the noses of some of our MGH staff. They really need to know why the line is used at all.

For starters they view it as a thinly veiled clickbait tactic, but also believe that they decide what readers need to know and the manner in which… well, you know what they mean.

The ubiquitous line appears early on in an ABC News Online story about the various dates on which Australians in different states and territories enjoy a public holiday to mark the official birthday of the British monarch, also our nation’s head of state.

The item starts by noting WA residents will have a holiday on Monday marking the King’s birthday, formerly the Queen’s birthday.

“But when will the other state’s [ sic – or maybe sick of rampant apostrophes] change the name, why is it held on different days in different locations and when is King Charles III’s actual birthday?” the story asks.

It then tells readers: “Here’s what you need to know.”

There follow numerous paragraphs outlining why most states and territories hold the public holiday in June and why WA and Queensland mark the sovereign’s birthday later in the year – WA next Monday as mentioned and Queensland on the first Monday in October.

The explanation about Queensland declares that the Queen’s birthday holiday was originally in June but was changed to October in 2012 but changed back to June following “a change of state government in 2013” before returning to October after yet another change of government in 2015.

Call our MGH researchers picky, but they point out that the particular change in government preceding the original shifting of the date happened in 2012, not 2013.

A small point? Maybe. But when readers are being told “here’s what you need to know” they might at least expect the information deemed vital by its publisher to be true.

The story also points out that the Queen’s or King’s birthday public holiday does not match their actual birthdays.

It explains that the June date “was decided in 1938 to mark King George IV’s birthday — despite that date being December 14, 1895”.

Our MGH researchers point out that King George IV was born on 12 August 1762 and died more than a century prior to 1938.

Okay, it was a simple transposition of digits. We’ve all accidentally swapped digits or letters or accidentally dropped one or two out entirely. Some of us can’t cunt the times.

The ABC story actually meant to reference King George VI.

Another small point to quibble over? Indeed. But let’s not forget, the ABC is authoritatively telling its readers that the information is “what you need to know”.

The story ends by canvassing some special days, not necessarily public holidays, that are on the calendar in some states and territories but not others.

They include National Volunteers Day which South Australia marks on the same day as the King’s/Queen’s Birthday. 

Readers are also told that the Northern Territory recognises Picnic Day in the first week of August. 

Now, our MGH teams can figure out what Volunteers Day is likely to celebrate, but Picnic Day?

“WTF is that?” they ask, although not using a polite abbreviation.

The ABC story gives no explanation, despite it being something readers might actually want – not necessarily need – to know.