running cover

[Ostap]

"They have theonering.net running cover, they have the mainstream shill media running cover, and now they're hiding their own content that they put up. We've seen this with Disney and Lucasfilm, with the Galactic Star Cruiser Hotel, when they took down their own video, just like they unlisted this once they received some backlash."
link with timecode

Hello everyone, could you tell me what "running cover" means here? And is the "running" an adjective, or a participle (or even a noun)?

 

[Tarheel]

I think in this case they are covering up something up or trying to hide something.

 

[SoothingDave]

It's military/police jargon. You "cover" someone by protecting them (with gunfire) as they make a maneuver.

"Running cover" is similarly protecting a thing by helping to distract the enemy or to clear a path for the one being covered.

 

[Tarheel]

Well, it's not a military situation.

 

[probus]

Come on, Tarheel. You know a metaphor when you see one.

 

[SoothingDave]

I was explaining where the words originated.

 

[Ostap]

Thank you. But still, what part of speech is "running" in that quote?