Facts, Facts, Stick to the Facts

Peter Smaill, writes in The Scotsman, 21 April, HERE 

“Take a look through the holy smokescreen”

“In 1723, Adam Smith was kidnapped by tinkers.”

Comment

Should the “kidnapping” anecdote be true, it did not happen in 1723, the year Adam Smith was born!

The story refers to him being 3-years old, i.e., from June 1726, while on a visit to his mother’s cousin at Strathendry, a few miles from Kirkcaldy, Fife.

What has happened to the once legendary facts checkers, once common in Journalism?