The foreign editor of the Washington Times writes a column on the "unsung heroes" of the copy desk. A snippet:

It's a sometimes tedious job and provides little opportunity for recognition. The hours are miserable — typically 3:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. or later. Yet copy desk editors are, in my experience, some of the most committed newspapermen and women in the business.

There have long been arguments that readers don't care about how the paper is put out as long as it shows up on their front porch. Maybe I'm overly interested in processes, but I don't agree with this theory. If that were the case, why would children take field trips to factories? Why do schools require shop class attendance? Why would people tour beer manufacturers? (Well, that last example isn't the best.)

And for those who can't be persuaded, it's a nice gesture nonetheless.