[fr_freak]

The 12-year-old's mother called Upper Burrell Township police after discovering the drugs in a tub of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter in 22-year-old Stevie Hickey's freezer. The woman tells police Hickey spread the substance on two pieces of toast that Hickey gave to the girl.

I know that the standards for journalism are in the toilet these days, but am I now to believe that these ignorant screwheads can't even handle using a consistent verb tense?

[bigheadfred]

The woman tells tolded police Hickey spread the substance on two pieces of toast that Hickey gave to the girl.

I feel better now. How about you? ;-)

[Joe 6-pack]

"...but am I now to believe that these ignorant screwheads can't even handle using a consistent verb tense?"

I agree that stylistically it makes for a clumsy read; however, it's not entirely inappropriate when somebody has made a permanent report, affirmation or filing:

"I repeatedly asked my son if he broke the window, and he swears that he did not."

"The suit filed last week claims the defendant was negligent in his actions."

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

That's one of my pet peeves. Many broadcast outlets seem to use nothing but the present tense. Print media are usually somewhat better. I believe that using only the present tense is supposed to impart some sense of immediacy — or mimic surveillance logs. It's a lazy, and often confusing “reporting” practice.

[TigersEye]

It makes you wonder how many tubs of special margarine copy writers eat per day.