Chris Rogers, an Icon of Change from the United Kingdom

Icons of Change International Awards 2025

Chris Rogers
BAFTA Award-Winning Journalist
Emmy-Nominated Investigative Reporter
Former Senior Producer, Director - Longform Investigations, Senior Presenter, BBC
Former Executive Producer and Programme Editor, Sky News
Co-Founder, Fresh Start Media

Sustainable Development Goal 16 – Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
Changemaker for Truth, Accountability, and Human Rights (Global)

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For Chris Rogers, journalism is not just about reporting events—it is about speaking truth to power, exposing injustice, and giving voice to the voiceless. A BAFTA award-winning, multi-award-winning investigative journalist, documentary maker, and Executive Producer with over 25 years of frontline experience, Chris has built a career that redefines the role of media as a driver of accountability and systemic change. His body of work—spanning the BBC, Sky News, ITV, Fresh Start Media, and independent platforms—has not only generated global headlines but has ignited debates, influenced policy, and exposed human rights abuses on a scale few journalists achieve.

Chris’s career began with a meteoric rise at the BBC, where at just 19 he became the youngest-ever presenter of the daily children’s news programme Newsround. From there, he quickly transitioned into frontline reporting, serving as a presenter and Senior Correspondent for Sky News, ITV News, and later BBC News. Covering conflicts, crises, and corruption across the world, he earned a reputation for fearless reporting combined with a compassionate lens that placed humanity at the heart of every story.

As a producer and presenter for flagship programmes such as BBC Panorama, Newsnight, Our World, and ITV Tonight, Chris specialized in undercover investigations that exposed some of the darkest realities of our time. His groundbreaking exposés of Romanian and Turkish orphanages revealed systemic neglect and abuse, prompting European Union investigations and sparking international outrage. In one of his most high-profile projects, he led the undercover documentary Duchess and Daughters The Secret Mission, taking Sarah, Duchess of York, and her daughters inside orphanages to witness the appalling conditions firsthand. The film created diplomatic shockwaves, but more importantly, it forced global attention onto children who had been abandoned and forgotten. His subsequent book, Undercover, chronicled these investigations and became a top-ten Amazon bestseller despite facing state-backed legal opposition.

Chris’s investigative lens has not stopped there. From exposing the illegal trade in children and the plight of Palestinian child soldiers, to uncovering gang violence in London and corruption in global institutions, his films consistently reveal uncomfortable truths while demanding justice. His reporting has won some of the industry’s highest honors a Royal Television Society Award for TV Journalist of the Year, an Amnesty International Media Award, a One World Media Award, and an Emmy nomination, alongside his BAFTA and multiple international accolades.

Beyond individual investigations, Chris has also transformed the landscape of youth and public-interest journalism. As Co-Founder and Creative Director of Fresh Start Media, he co-created FYI For Your Info, a pioneering digital-first news brand and BAFTA-winning weekly programme for Sky News. Targeted at younger audiences, FYI delivered investigative documentaries and news coverage that engaged, educated, and empowered the next generation of global citizens. Under Chris’s leadership as Executive Producer, the brand won multiple awards including a BAFTA, Broadcast Award, Prix Jeunesse, Venice TV Award, and repeated Royal Television Society nominations. His innovation in this space demonstrated his belief that truth and accountability must be cultivated early, ensuring that media literacy and civic awareness are part of how young people engage with the world.

Currently serving as a Senior Producer and Director for Longform Investigations at the BBC, Chris continues to craft hard-hitting films that resonate globally. He is also a sought-after lecturer and mentor, sharing his expertise in investigative journalism with emerging journalists at King’s College School Wimbledon and TECH Global University, nurturing the next generation of storytellers committed to integrity and impact.

Chris Rogers’s life’s work embodies Sustainable Development Goal 16 Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. His investigations have challenged corrupt systems, exposed human rights violations, and demanded accountability from governments and institutions. Through his documentaries, mentorship, and innovation in youth-focused journalism, he has shown that media, when done with courage and integrity, is not a passive observer of society—it is an active catalyst for justice.

In honoring Chris Rogers with the Icons of Change International Award 2025, we recognize a changemaker whose relentless pursuit of truth has reshaped public discourse, influenced policy, and given a platform to those silenced by oppression and neglect. His journey is proof that fearless journalism is not simply about breaking news—it is about breaking barriers, inspiring change, and holding power to account.

Chris reminds us that justice begins with awareness, and awareness begins with those bold enough to tell the stories others dare not touch. His career is a testament to the fact that in the fight for peace and justice, a camera, a notebook, and courage can be among the most powerful tools for change.

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