Don Ringe (; born c. 1946 – October 11, 2016) was an American political media consultant,

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winning journalist, documentary filmmaker and online innovator in both the US and overseas. He was a graduate of the

Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is located in Pulitzer Hall on the university's Morningside Heights campus in New York City. Founded in 1912 by Joseph Pulitzer, Columbia Journalism School is one of the oldest journalism sch ...

(MS) and

Hofstra University Hofstra University is a Private university, private research university in Hempstead, New York, United States. It originated in 1935 as an extension of New York University and became an independent college in 1939. Comprising ten schools, includ ...

(BA). He held a Certificate in Advanced Advertising Studies from the University of Southern California Graduate School of Business. While attending

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

he was hired by David Wolper Productions as noted author Theodore White’s

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for the CBS television special, "Making of the President, 1968." He was also the assistant to the producer of Wolper’s ABC special, "The Unfinished Journey of Robert F. Kennedy." He began his career as a copy boy at Newsday at the age of 18 while attending

. In 1970 he established one of the first political media firms in the country and created the media for the successful

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and Fire Association's Proposition 2, the ballot initiative to re-build the LA city schools after the 1970 earthquake, and a statewide ballot initiative to expand and upgrade the UC Medical School system. Ringe was the director of special projects at KABC-TV News in

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, then executive news producer at KPIX-TV in

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, and shortly thereafter, news director and executive producer of programming at WNAC-TV, then the CBS affiliate in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. He founded Ringe Media in 1978 with the campaigns of US Senators Ed Brooke and

John Warner John William Warner III (February 18, 1927 – May 25, 2021) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the United States Secretary of the Navy from 1972 to 1974 and as a five-term United States Republican Party, Republican United Stat ...

, as well as Texas Governor

William Clements William Perry Clements Jr. (April 13, 1917 – May 29, 2011) was an American businessman and Republican Party politician who served two nonconsecutive terms as the governor of Texas between 1979 and 1991. His terms bookended the sole ...

. He subsequently worked on many

US Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...

, gubernatorial, and House campaigns, as well as campaigns for president in the US,

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and

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. Ringe was hired on a $40,000-per-month retainer by the Dole for President presidential campaign of 1988, but never produced an ad. His most recent client was Democratic Congresswoman

Jane Harman Jane Margaret Harman (née Lakes, June 28, 1945) is an American former politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 1993 to 1999 and again from 2001 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the ranking member on the ...

's 2010 re-election campaign. He has created national award winning programs o
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for children and teens, as well as a PBS documentary on glass master, Dale Chihuly. Most recently, Ringe Media has created television and internet video media for campaigns on behalf of the international Westfield Group, the California-based Kilroy Realty Corporation, and Marymount College, among others. Ringe provided the campaign media for statewide ballot initiatives on the issues of (pro) gun control, saving sea life through a ban on gillnet fishing, rebuilding Los Angeles earthquake damaged schools and many others. Ringe worked as a documentary writer-producer-director for network television shows including " In Search of Ancient Astronauts" with Rod Serling; and, "Armies of the Ants", an eco-documentary shot in the Amazon, Panamanian and Costa Rican rain forests. He also wrote and produced "Undersea Oasis", a children’s TV special on artificial reefs. From 1974–1978 he was a producer,

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and news director of network affiliate

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in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Boston. In 1978 he founded Ringe Media, a communications company specializing in public affairs and political media campaigns, as well as educational and entertainment media. RMI has provided the advertising for many

and gubernatorial campaigns, as well as for Presidential campaigns in the US and abroad. The firm also creates media for ballot initiatives, associations and

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References

Sources

* Huffington Post
Don Ringe , HuffPost
* Ringe Media
Ringe Media - A Public Affairs Media Company
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ringe, Don 1940s births 2016 deaths American political journalists Hofstra University alumni Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism alumni Marshall School of Business alumni Emmy Award winners