Jump to content

Warwick Roger

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Roger in 2008

Warwick George Roger ONZM (21 August 1945 – 17 August 2018[1][2]) was a New Zealand journalist who founded Metro magazine.[3][4]

He was one of New Zealand's leading journalists during the late 20th century, and his Metro magazine was the first of its kind in Auckland, with its campaigning journalism, long opinionated articles, publishing of long letters to the editor in full, no matter the viewpoint, and general celebration of glitz, gossip and conspicuous consumption. It reflected the times of the 1980s and early 90s. Roger was a keen cricket fan and a marathon runner, who also wrote a gossip column called "Felicity Ferret" which could border on the cruel, and it brought him a defamation lawsuit in 1994, costing the magazine $100,000, and heralding the ferret's demise. He was a mentor to many journalists.

In the 2008 Queen's Birthday Honours, Roger was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to journalism.[5]

Roger died of Parkinson's disease in 2018 at the age of 72.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Warwick Roger death notice". New Zealand Herald. 22 August 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  2. ^ "Warwick Roger death notice". New Zealand Herald. 21 August 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  3. ^ "Metro magazine founder dies at 72". radionz.co.nz. 18 August 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  4. ^ "Metro magazine founder Warwick Roger dies". nzherald.co.nz. 18 August 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  5. ^ "The Queen's Birthday Honours List 2008". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 2 July 2008. Retrieved 18 August 2018.