A method for operating a hearing system is defined, wherein a sound signal emanating from a sound source is measured by a plurality of microphones, which are fitted in different devices. Each of the microphones detects the sound signal and generates therefrom a microphone signal. The hearing system is binaural and two of the devices are each embodied as a hearing aid. For at least the two microphone signals from the microphones of the hearing aids there is determined an individual reverberation time in each case, and the individual reverberation times are combined in a dataset from which a general reverberation time is determined. An operating parameter of the hearing system is adjusted according to the general reverberation time. A corresponding hearing system is also defined.