Celebrated journalist and Metro magazine founder Warwick Roger dies

Warwick Roger (right) received the Insignia of an Officer of the NZ Order of Merit, for services to journalism, from from then Governor General Anand Satyanand (left). Photo / supplied

Celebrated journalist and founder of Metro magazine Warwick Roger has died.

For more than 10 years Roger had suffered from Parkinson's - a degenerative central nervous system disorder which affects the body's motor systems.

The Weekend Herald understands he died in his sleep on Thursday night.

Roger established the glossy monthly magazine in 1981 and was the editor for 13 years.

He was married to fellow journalist and North and South founder Robyn Langwell.

In 2008, Roger was honoured with the Insignia of an Officer of the NZ Order of Merit, for Services to Journalism.

Fellow journalists, including the Herald's own Simon Wilson and North and South writer Donna Chisholm have paid tribute to Roger on Twitter this morning.

Very sad news. The magnificent editor and journalist Warwick Roger has died. It was the privilege of my career to edit the magazine, @MetroMagNZ, that he founded and made so great.

— Simon Wilson (@simonbwilson) August 17, 2018

NZ has lost a trailblazing giant of journalism with the death of Warwick Roger. His legacy lives on.

— Donna Chisholm (@Donna_Chisholm) August 17, 2018