Gift from Ring Foundation funds USC Annenberg investigative reporting fellowship

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 1, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Ring Foundation and the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism are strengthening their shared commitment to investigative reporting, Willow Bay, Director of the School of Journalism announced today. The Foundation has pledged $1.4 million to fund an endowed fellowship for graduate students pursuing investigative journalism.

Launching in the 2017-18 academic year, the Selden Ring Investigative Journalism Fellowship will fund tuition for a student enrolled in the nine-and-a-half month Journalism M.S. or the M.A. in Specialized Journalism programs.

"There has never been a more important time to become an investigative journalist," Bay said. "Now more than ever, we need intellectually rigorous, highly ethical, technically skilled journalists who will hold those in power accountable and tell stories that matter."

Since 1989, the Ring Foundation has partnered with USC Annenberg as the home of the Selden Ring Award for Investigative Journalism. The $35,000 annual award, established with the support of Southern California businessman and philanthropist Selden Ring, has highlighted the impact investigative journalists have on local, national and global communities. The award underscores the importance of investigative journalism as a cornerstone of democratic society – and the value of accountability for governments, non-government organizations and private corporations.

"The Ring Foundation is pleased to further its support for the importance of investigative journalism and serving a vital and fundamental commitment to our values in this country and the world at large," said Cindy Miscikowski, Chair of The Ring Foundation.

Bay added: "As we continue to build a pipeline of ambitious, talented journalists with diverse backgrounds and experiences, to lead newsrooms of the future, this generous gift will open doors to journalists with extraordinary potential to strengthen investigative reporting, regardless of financial circumstance."

USC Annenberg's graduate journalism programs are designed to develop and nurture journalists who can lead the complex digital newsrooms of the 21^st century. In state-of-the-art digital facilities, faculty guide students in learning how to produce content across all platforms, to understand the importance of context and analysis — and to embrace the role of diverse communities in storytelling.

More information about USC Annenberg's graduate journalism programs is available here: http://annenberg.usc.edu/journalism/graduate-journalism

About the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism

Located in Los Angeles at the University of Southern California, the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism (annenberg.usc.edu) is a national leader in education and scholarship in the fields of communication, journalism, public diplomacy and public relations. With an enrollment of more than 2,400 students, USC Annenberg offers doctoral, graduate and undergraduate degree programs, as well as continuing development programs for working professionals, across a broad scope of academic inquiry. The school's comprehensive curriculum emphasizes the core skills of leadership, innovation, service and entrepreneurship and draws upon the resources of a networked university located in the media capital of the world.

Contact: Gretchen Parker McCartney
213-740-6302, [email protected]

SOURCE USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism

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http://annenberg.usc.edu