Mayne’s death sad blow for N.Z. journalism

Press, 28 December 1987, Page 6

Mayne’s death sad blow for N.Z. journalism

PA Wellington Warren Mayne, one of New Zealand’s best-known journalists, died in Wellington on Saturday. He was 44. Mayne, who earned a reputation as a commentator on the news media, had been suffering from cancer. In recent weeks he was honoured twice for his journalism. A media commentator, Brian Priestley, named Mayne as journalist of the year for his “irreverent, witty, malicious and wellwritten” “National Business Review” column. He also became the first person outside Radio New Zealand to be given

a Director-General’s Award for outstanding achievement. Mayne was widely regarded within the communications industry as a true professional. He continued writing articles and his “In the Mayne” column for the “N.8.R.” from his bed at Mary Potter Hospice until a few days before his death. The “N.B.R.’s” editor, Jim Eagles, said that Mayne’s death was a sad blow for his family, friends and colleagues. He paid tribute to Mayne’s contribution to the “N.8.R.” In his first few years, when the “N.8.R.” was a weekly publication, Mayne almost

single-handedly produced the newspaper in his capacity as production editor. “He was the complete journalist — a sub-editor, investigative reporter, a columnist and commentator. He excelled in all of those fields,” Mr Eagles said. Mayne got his taste for journalism as editor of the Otago University magazine, “Critic,” in the early 19605, while at the same time working as a subeditor for the "Otago Daily Times.” He joined the “Christchurch Star” as a sub-editor in 1965. During his years at the “Star,” he developed his interest in news media reporting and pioneered a

style of television programme listings and commentary which in the late 1970 s he transplanted first to “N.Z. Truth” and then to the “Dominion” in Wellington. Apart from his print journalism, Mayne appeared regularly on a variety of radio and TV programmes as a commentator. His reputation for gathering “inside” information, particularly from within radio and television broadcasting, was fearsome. But he was always regarded as fair. Mayne is survived by his wife, Kerry, and two teenage daughters from an earlier marriage.