Martha Stewart winning the PR war

DOMESTIC lifestyle guru Martha Stewart steps into the dock in a Manhattan courtroom today for the start of her trial on obstruction of justice charges with a better chance of clearing her name than she appeared to have when the scandal erupted last year.

A skilful public relations campaign in the past few weeks has increasingly turned popular opinion in her favour, a dramatic change from several months ago when she was being written off in the media as another example of US corporate greed and excess.

Although this will not necessarily win the trial for her, experts believe it may subtly influence the jurors.

The trial begins today with the final jury selection. Stewart is charged in connection with her 2002 sale of shares in ImClone, a pharmaceuticals group founded and run by her friend Sam Waksal. Prosecutors believe the sale was the result of inside information.