Steve Wiseman named sports editor of N&O, Herald-Sun
A familiar face at The News & Observer is stepping into a new role on the sports staff after more than three decades as a reporter.
Steve Wiseman, a longtime college basketball writer with deep ties to North Carolina and its sports scene, has been promoted to sports editor, a role with which he is already familiar. For the past two years, Wiseman has served as the primary Duke athletics beat writer and as assistant sports editor, alongside deputy regional sports editor Justin Pelletier.
“I am thrilled for this new assignment,” Wiseman said. “This is a wonderful time to be leading the News & Observer sports department. It’s a challenging, changing time in the world of college athletics, which is our main focus, but the sports journalism world as a whole is changing every day. We have to be nimble. We have to be smart, and I hope to continue the kind of journalism I’ve practiced as a beat writer as an editor.”
News & Observer Executive Editor Nicole Stockdale said this is the “perfect time” to promote Wiseman, due to his leadership and storytelling abilities. Stockdale said the change is part of an effort to continue providing new and relevant coverage to readers, citing his vision and expertise.
“His deep sourcing, commitment to being first and best, and knack for capturing the heart and humanity in sports stories is something we wanted to harness fully, and this change lets him do just that,” Stockdale said.
Wiseman hopes to help the N&O expand its reach and fulfill the company’s goals. He said he hopes to see the sports department continue its history of providing the Triangle — and state of North Carolina at large — essential sports journalism about the ACC, the Carolina Hurricanes and other sporting events happening in the area.
“Steve is a powerhouse of talent and experience. He’s not just a great editor; he’s a mentor who lifts everyone around him,” Stockdale said. “Steve’s passion and dedication are exactly what we need to keep our tradition of great sportswriting alive and thriving.”
Originally from Illinois, Wiseman has had a career stretching more than three-and-a-half decades, beginning in North Carolina at the Hickory Daily Record.
Wiseman also spent time at The State in Columbia, South Carolina; the Biloxi (Mississippi) Sun Herald; the Spartanburg (SC) Herald Journal; the Charlotte Observer; and the Durham Herald-Sun. Wiseman served as a reporter at each stop, covering the NFL, college football and men’s basketball, high school sports, NHL hockey and even minor league baseball.
He was also an editor with both The State and the Herald-Sun, where he was working in 2016 as its sports editor when it merged with The News & Observer.
Wiseman has been a fixture in the Triangle for the past 15 years, between working in Durham and Raleigh, and has primarily covered Duke athletics since returning to North Carolina. His career has included seven Final Fours, three Super Bowls, nine college football bowl games and three trips to the men’s College World Series.
Wiseman said he’s always admired The News & Observer’s work, even when witnessing it from afar. He spoke to the investigative work — which is still important in sports — and the paper’s record keeping of championship teams in the area.
“It’s always been kind of a go-to. If you wanted to know what’s going on with these schools and these teams, this is where you look,” Wiseman said. “That’s my challenge, to continue that even as our business is changing and evolving. We don’t have the staff we did 30 years ago when these things started coming to my attention, but we still have that challenge and that goal.”
Wiseman met his wife, Kelly, while working in Charlotte. The couple has one daughter, Bailey, who is a practicing lawyer. He considers North Carolina home and believes it’s the best state in which to live and raise a family. It’s also a thriving sports market.
“You have everything you want here, short of Major League Baseball, but it’s probably coming someday,” Wiseman said. “The level of passion for all the sports teams that are here, pro or college, makes it a great place to work and tell the stories of these teams and these efforts.”
This story was originally published May 12, 2025 at 8:00 AM.
