How CNN got news from the Hunter Biden trial out of the courthouse

One student’s first-hand account of running notes from reporters at the Hunter Biden trial to the world in real time.

CNN relied on a system of runners to get notes from reporters watching the Hunter Biden trial to the world in real time. Here’s one runner’s description: As a journalism student at the University of Delaware preparing for my final year of college before the real world, I jumped at the chance when one of my journalism professors sent me a text asking if I wanted to work for CNN. There’s a very strict policy on electronics in the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building that prohibits the usage of laptops and phones inside. This policy may have been a hassle, but I’m ultimately grateful for it, as it’s the reason I had a job during the trial. My title of runner was extremely literal (as I learned the hard way when I wore boots to the first day of the trial), meaning I was taking notes from reporters in the courtroom and delivering them to a team of producers on the ground. This is how CNN and many other media outlets maintained live updates during the trial; it was thanks to runners like me. Of course, the job wasn’t easy, and I think the blisters speak for themselves, but they serve as a reminder of one of the coolest experiences of my life so far. Day after day, I was tasked with carrying notes bearing the latest national news up and down three flights of stairs, which was a tedious task when the trial was slow and an utterly invigorating one when it wasn’t.