The Supreme Court’s Strangest Media Tradition: Why Interns Are Still Sprinting in the Age of AI

In the high-stakes, hyper-digital landscape of 2026 Washington D.C., where news cycles are measured in milliseconds and push notifications dominate the discourse, one of the capital’s most archaic and physically demanding traditions continues to defy obsolescence. As the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) concluded its latest term on June 30, observers witnessed the familiar, kinetic spectacle of the "Running of the Interns."

Sweaty, breathless, and dressed in business-casual attire that was never designed for track and field, these young media staffers were seen sprinting from the marble steps of the Supreme Court to the waiting satellite trucks and news crews positioned on the plaza. With printed copies of landmark rulings—including decisions on birthright citizenship, transgender athletics, and campaign finance—clutched in their hands, these interns served as the final, analog link in a digital news chain.

While the internet quickly turned the footage into a viral sensation, the spectacle invites a deeper question: In an era where the Court releases opinions online instantaneously, why are we still watching young people race for paper?

The Mechanics of a Legacy: What Is "The Running"?

The "Running of the Interns" is a vestige of a bygone media era, yet it remains a rite of passage for every generation of journalism hopefuls assigned to the Supreme Court beat. For decades, before the advent of high-speed fiber optics and real-time document hosting, the only way for news outlets to obtain the text of a Supreme Court ruling was to secure a physical copy from the Public Information Office.

Because recording devices, laptops, and smartphones are strictly prohibited inside the courtroom, reporters were forced to rely on paper transcripts. Interns were stationed inside the building, waiting for the Clerk of the Court to distribute the physical opinions. Once the document hit their hands, the sprint began. The goal was simple: bridge the gap between the building’s interior and the outside world as quickly as humanly possible, ensuring their respective news organizations—be it CNN, NBC, AP, or others—could break the news to the public before their competitors.

A Chronology of the Dash

The tradition cemented its place in American media history during the 2000 presidential election litigation, Bush v. Gore. As the nation held its breath, the physical delivery of that ruling became a symbol of the tension surrounding the election’s outcome.

Following that watershed moment, the "run" became a reliable staple of major decision days:

• 2012: Interns sprinted to relay the details of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) ruling, a moment that saw unprecedented public interest in the court’s inner workings.
• 2015: The decision to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide turned the run into a full-scale media event, with news cameras tracking the interns like athletes in a relay race.
• 2020–2022: The COVID-19 pandemic forced the Court to modernize. During this period, the Court released opinions exclusively online. For two years, the tradition was effectively declared dead by industry analysts.
• 2026: The return of the tradition. Despite the ubiquity of digital access, the physical printout remains the "gold standard" for many legacy newsrooms, who prioritize the tactile document as a confirmation of the official text.

Supporting Data: The Digital vs. Analog Paradox

Critics of the tradition often point to the inefficiency of the process. In 2026, the Supreme Court’s website is optimized to handle massive traffic spikes, and the PDF versions of opinions are uploaded to the Court’s official portal the exact second they are announced from the bench.

However, the "run" persists for several strategic reasons:

1. Verification and Precision: In the race to break news, newsrooms rely on the physical copy as the primary source to ensure that digital transcription errors or formatting issues do not plague their live coverage.
2. The "Live Shot" Element: Broadcast networks often have correspondents waiting on the plaza for a "live hit." Handing the document directly to the anchor or producer creates a tangible visual narrative for the audience, signaling that the news is literally "fresh off the press."
3. Institutional Memory: Media organizations are inherently conservative institutions. If a specific process—like the print run—has been used for fifty years, it becomes part of the internal culture. Training interns to run is as much about teaching them the "grind" of the D.C. press corps as it is about the news itself.

Official Responses and Internal Perspectives

While the Court itself remains silent on the spectacle, the media organizations involved view the run as a necessary logistical maneuver. Reporters who have since moved into senior roles often recount their time as "runners" with a mix of exhaustion and nostalgia.

"It’s not just about speed; it’s about adrenaline," says one veteran producer who oversaw the 2026 run. "When you’re out there on the plaza, and the decision is as massive as the ones we saw on June 30, the atmosphere is electric. The intern sprinting toward the truck is the physical manifestation of our commitment to get the truth to the public."

Conversely, critics within the digital media space argue that the tradition is performative. Some have taken to social media to call it "absurdist theater," noting that by the time an intern reaches the sidewalk, the opinion has already been live on the Court’s website for several minutes.

Implications for the Future of News

The continued existence of the "Running of the Interns" raises broader questions about the intersection of tradition and technology. As AI-driven transcription services and automated scrapers grow more sophisticated, the latency between an opinion being read and it appearing on a smartphone is approaching zero.

The fact that these interns are still running suggests that, in the world of high-stakes journalism, the human element remains a valued component. The spectacle serves as a bridge between the institutional gravity of the Supreme Court and the fast-paced, social-media-driven world of modern news consumption.

Furthermore, the public’s obsession with the run—often tagging sneaker companies in videos or analyzing the interns’ form—shows that the audience craves the drama of the process. In an age where news feels increasingly cold, automated, and algorithmic, the image of a young professional in sneakers racing through the streets of Washington feels human, relatable, and undeniably real.

Conclusion: The Endurance of the Sprint

As the 2026 term comes to a close, the "Running of the Interns" remains a quintessential D.C. anomaly. It is a ritual that makes no sense on a spreadsheet but makes perfect sense in the context of human culture.

Whether it survives another decade is an open question. As technology continues to evolve, the physical paper may eventually be replaced by secure, real-time data feeds that eliminate the need for a courier entirely. But for now, as long as there are decisions to be made and reporters eager to break them, we can expect to see the next generation of journalists lacing up their sneakers, waiting for the doors of the Supreme Court to swing open, and sprinting into the pages of history.

It is, perhaps, the most fitting metaphor for the current state of the media: a blend of the ancient and the cutting-edge, fueled by caffeine, ambition, and the relentless, timeless pursuit of the truth.