As mentioned above SEP does vary from carrier to carrier and in addition there can be a little personal interpretation.
If I was seated knee to knee with a pax and they were reading one of those hefty multi suppliment sunday newspapers then I would politely ask to pop it in the overhead locker and then return after take off. Small paperback books on the other hand I wouldn't be too worried about.
Having said that I always remember coming in to LHR on a PAN call after a hydraulic problem (the passengers were not aware until they spotted the fire service racing up the runway behind us) and I had been, as you would expect, quite scrupulous in clearing the door area as there was a slim possibility of evacuation. I'd asked politley if the pax directly infront of me could put all books and papers in the bins and I have to say they weren't particularly co-operative, in spite of my best efforts. It was only afterwards as they watched Heathrow's fire dept scuttling about, all light blazing that the penny dropped.
It was the Capts call for us not to go into the full drill, but I would say you never know what might be behind an unusual or seemingly petty request.
I think in this case though it might just have been an overzealous newby!
