Music to my ears

trotsky · **Joined:** Wed Jul 10, 2002 12:01 am **Posts:** 2

OK, we only get to make fun of my managing editor here:A copy editor on my desk has decided that to overcome the distraction of the noisy newsroom, he's going to listen to music via headphones. I say, more power to him. While it's certainly anti-social behavior, I can't see how it's any different from earplugs in that respect. My boss the news editor disagress, as does the ME, who started this whole problem.I should point out that half the reporters and editors in the newsroom seem to put on their Walkman or iPod when they want to tune out and work, but it's only a problem when this one (sometimes, in the past, trouble-making) copy editor does it.Anybody have any wisdom on how to deal with this (in addition to firing off an irate e-mail to the ME, which I've already done)?

jjmoney62 · **Posted:** Wed Apr 16, 2003 9:57 am

Copy editors shouldn't be wearing headphones in a newsroom.I would stay out of it.Oh, too late.

SusanV · **Posted:** Wed Apr 16, 2003 10:16 am

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by jjmoney62:
Copy editors shouldn't be wearing headphones in a newsroom.
<hr></blockquote> Why not?

rumymommy · **Joined:** Tue Aug 06, 2002 12:01 am **Posts:** 138

I don't see why it's any of the MEs business if the editor needs headphones to do his job efficiently. Personally, I don't use them because I'm listening for discussions on style on the desk and potential problems for stories/photos around the newsroom. What's the ME's reasoning?

jjmoney62 · **Posted:** Wed Apr 16, 2003 2:09 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by SusanV:
Why not?<hr></blockquote>
The copy desk should be given a relatively sedate portion of the newsroom, but beyond that, a rimmer should be able to hear the general buzz of the newsroom and the slot's voice. Plus the reasons 4Jfan mentioned. Can you imagine if every member of the copy desk had headphones on and was off in his or her own little world? That would be a dysfunctional workplace. Let copy editors find other ways to pretend that they are sensitive, special or eccentric.

Matthew Grieco · **Posted:** Wed Apr 16, 2003 2:10 pm

Nobody on my desk wears headphones. I don't know if we have a rule about it or not. I'm not the supervisor, but I personally wouldn't allow it if I were. Communication in the communication business has gotten bad enough without that.I can't see doing my job without others being able to shout to me.That said, there shouldn't be a double-standard, for one copy editor over another or for reporters over copy editors.

tommangan · **Posted:** Thu Apr 17, 2003 8:04 pm

From a purely aesthetic standpoint, wearing headphones does either a disservice to what's playing or what you're supposed to be editing. Music does help some people concentrate. Surgeons often have music in the background as they operate. Still, I pick up way too much stuff from the people around me -- general mood of the room and stuff -- that I'd never hear if I had phones on.

mcjones75 · **Posted:** Wed Apr 23, 2003 3:28 pm

I occasionally wear them, sadly, sometimes it's necessary to concentrate. When my coworkers are kvetching about their ex's, their kids, their bills and their golf scores, I turn to some soft Coltrane.When they move on to story play, grammar, design or anything to do with the output of a newspaper, the headphones come off.Does this make me anti-social? Sure. But I'm here to be productive, social comes later.[ April 23, 2003: Message edited by: mcjones75 ]

jjmoney62 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 24, 2003 9:34 am

Coltrane.Does that make you special or eccentric?Or just way cooler than the kvetchers?

mcjones75 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 24, 2003 2:49 pm

It makes me testy, as always.

carola · **Posted:** Mon Apr 28, 2003 1:39 pm

Id gladly wear headphones if only to drown out the right-wing rantings of one of my co-workers.
The dude never shuts up. Something uplifting like Handel or Vivaldi.

dasher · **Joined:** Tue Jan 14, 2003 1:01 am **Posts:** 26

I have the intro to "Play the Funky Music'' on my desktop. So, rather than praise somebody for writing a good headline or catching an error, I play it instead. It also use it to announce that the pizza I ordered for the crew has arrived. So, if you are wearing headphones, you miss a lot around here.

tommangan · **Posted:** Tue Apr 29, 2003 12:20 pm

Dasher is kidding, right? Because he'd be dead by now on my desk.

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Wed Apr 30, 2003 1:26 pm

I note that a second front in the Great Headphones Debate has opened up, without the requisite flippancy and ridicule.

jjmoney62 · **Posted:** Wed Apr 30, 2003 6:59 pm

hmm. headphones. should that be one word or two?hed fones?

tommangan · **Posted:** Fri May 02, 2003 12:17 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by blanp:
I note that a second front in the Great Headphones Debate has opened up, without the requisite flippancy and ridicule.<hr></blockquote>The utter lack of flippancy and ridicule is one of the reasons I avoid the ACES site.

pampellfw · **Joined:** Thu Apr 25, 2002 12:01 am **Posts:** 38

Copy editors without flippancy and ridicule? I thought that's why we all are (or used to be) copy editors, so we could be flip and get paid for it ....

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