NPR TU Interview

http://marketplacemoney.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/04/20/day_in_the_work_life_tobacconist/

Here is a selection of the good quotes:

Tobacconist
"If you can help one person savor their time better, then that, to me, is what we do."

Savoring Your Time
"A cigarette is about giving your body nicotine. A great cigar is about the time you take to savor it."

About the world we live in
"I want to live in a world where tobacco is not anathema to the culture, but really just an accent."

Products Matter More Than Money
"it's the product that matters and that's refreshing in today's day and age."

The interview was almost 3 hours long and they edited it down to 3 minutes. While the interview and freelance reporter were extremely pleasant, I think it is obvious that NPR has a deep dislike of Tobacco in any form. But they did manage to air some of the good parts of the interview. Honestly, I think they left the best parts out and tried their best to NOT make the interview GREAT. The best quotes were truncated, highly edited, and/or omitted. This was an interview that was not meant to glamorize Tobacconist University, but I hope that our value and credibility did shine through. This interview was mostly about TU, yet they packaged it into the Marketplace Money program and then into the A Day in the Life segment: so much of what was said was skewed and shaped to suit their needs. In particular, I must disclaim any and all references to investments and income: I have no idea what kind of editing went on with the numbers they quoted, but it made no sense and is not reflective of the reality. But they had to put something in about numbers and money since it is a "money" show.

Overall, this was a good piece in my opinion, and hopefully just the beginning...

National Public Radio meets T.U.

On the weekend of April 20th, National Public Radio will broadcast an interview I did with them about Tobacconist University for their Marketplace program. Broadcast times will vary depending on what part of the country you live in, so please check their website at http://www.npr.org/. The interview took 3 hours, but I think they will have edited it down to between one and two minutes. This is a travesty since I'm sure I provided at least four minutes of worthy material, but I am grateful for the opportunity nonetheless. My hope is that Tobacconists and the luxury tobacco industry will be portrayed in a positive light. It should be a strong counterpoint to the anti-smoking hysteria and Smokerism that is running rampant through our society. I hope that this will be just the beginning with regard to representing luxury tobacco as civilized and legitimate products that enhance our quality of life and our culture.