USC Annenberg students, faculty and staff mourn the death of philanthropist Doug Ring, executive director of the School's Selden Ring Award.

"I am deeply saddened by the death of Doug Ring," Dean Ernest J. Wilson III said. "Not only has USC Annenberg lost a great supporter, but Southern California has lost a tremendous philanthropist and civic leader. He will be missed by the entire community."

The Selden Ring Award for Investigative Reporting was established in 1989 by Doug's father, Selden Ring, a Southern California business leader and philanthropist. He started the award to honor journalists whose investigative reporting informed the public about major problems or corruption in society and yielded concrete results.

"We will always be grateful for Doug Ring's steadfast dedication to and support for this award, which honored his father's passionate conviction that investigative reporting is central to the health of our democracy," said School of Journalism director Geneva Overholser. "Many a beleaguered newsroom has seen its mood lifted by this recognition. More recently, many a struggling Web site has felt its hopes quicken at the possibility of winning it. The generous sum changed the fortunes of its recipients; this has truly been the 'genius grant' of the journalism prize world."