The benefit of the doubt (Score 1)

It sounds like utter bs, but let me play devil's advocate for a second.

If by observing, you mean changing the quantum state in some way (like say, passing the particles through a magnetic field to measure their spin), and if, for some reason, those particles are entangled to particles that exist in the supernova, then you would be able to change the quantum state of a bunch of particles at the source via that "spooky action at a distance" that Einstein discovered. This is something that would (probably) not occur if the particles just smacked into the Earth's magnetic field...

...maybe.

But this is stretching -- we're only talking about a few particles in a freakin' supernova. I really think it's most likely that the reporter didn't understand what he was being told.