Her Publicist’s Eyes Widened with Alarm

I was reading a story in my local paper about Martha Stewart’s house arrest. It’s a second-hand account of an interview she gave to Vanity Fair. I snickered when I read this:

Asked about the electronic monitoring device on her ankle — she has complained repeatedly that it irritates her skin — Stewart says she knows how to remove it. “It’s on the Internet. I looked it up,” she said.

Her publicist’s eyes “widened with alarm” after the remark, but the article didn’t say whether Stewart claimed to have taken off the device.

That’s a keen journalist, and an inventive bit of reporting. I wonder how many reporters actually watch the publicist to detect errors, lies or noteworthy ommissions. PR folks around the globe need to learn to be as stoic as statues. Meditation, anyone?