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Cuba: an Enriching Encounter with Readers at a Cuban Cigar Factory  

Cigar makers gave their opinions about the work of Cuban media while hand-rolling, shaping and packing their product according to varieties and brands, such as H.Upmann ( name given to the center years ago), Montecristi, Hoyos de Monterrey and Partagás, which are very prestigious all over the world. They also referred to the way journalists reflect — or don´t— everyday problems in the newspapers and called them to be more critical when approaching these issues. They also talked about the need to improve the quality of the Cuban newspapers, when it comes to printing and distribution.

The meeting enriched our background knowledge. Thanks to readers at the cigar factories, cigar makers are regular “listeners” of the news we read them from the newspapers. “We read newspapers, magazines, books, foreign and national publications every day. All the departments listen to us through a local audio system. Cigar makers pay close attention to every piece of news and are severe critics of these materials,” said Gricel Valdés-Lombillo Pérez, who has played this role for nearly two decades. . . .

No wonder, the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Preservation of the Immaterial Heritage will evaluate late in September the Cuban experience of people employed as cigar factory readers

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