Tricia Whitaker

Tricia Whitaker is a Lecturer at The Media School of Indiana University, where she has served as an adjunct instructor since 2016. Her courses focus on sports video storytelling and digital media storytelling, bringing real-world broadcasting experience directly into the classroom. She is also the sideline reporter for Apple TV+'s coverage of Major League Baseball on their Friday Night Baseball national broadcast since 2022, working alongside play-by-play man Alex Faust and color analyst Ryans Spilborghs.

Ms. Whitaker has built an extensive career in sports media, spending six seasons (2019-2024) with Bally Sports Florida as the Tampa Bay Rays' sideline reporter and host, covering five consecutive playoff appearances. Prior to that, she worked at CBS4 and FOX59 affiliate in Indianapolis as a sports anchor/reporter (2015-2018) and at WBAY-TV ABC affiliate in Green Bay, Wisconsin covering the Packers (2013-2015).

Her professional expertise centers on:

• Sports video production techniques
• Digital storytelling applications in sports media
• MLB broadcasting innovations
• Interview methodology across languages and cultures
• Human-interest storytelling in sports journalism
• Emerging platforms in sports media distribution

Ms. Whitaker actively shares industry insights through her social media presence, including notable discussions about multilingual reporting (as demonstrated in her Spanish-language interview with Salvador Pérez) and human-interest stories like Rangers player Jake Burger's perspective on parenting a child with Down syndrome. These experiences directly inform her teaching approach at Indiana University.

As an IU alumna raised in Bloomington, she maintains strong ties to the university community while balancing her professional broadcasting career with her academic responsibilities, providing students with current, practical knowledge of the sports media industry.