A study replicated and expanded a study by Stuart Surlin, reported in "Journalism Quarterly" in 1987, on the effects of a mass media ethics course upon students' value systems. Whereas Surlin did a simple pre- and posttest on 20 students from one class, using the Rokeach 36-item terminal and instrumental values inventory, the present study drew from a purposive sample of 206 students over two semesters. The experimental group consisted of four ethics classes; the control groups were from courses in media research, history, and public relations. Whereas Surlin found support for his hypotheses that a media ethics course would result in increased salience of the value "equality" and a decreased gap between "freedom" and "equality," and that a course in media ethics should lead to greater salience of "moral" instrumental values and "social" terminal values, the present study found different but equally justifiable patterns of response. It found highly significant differences between the posttest of the experimental and control groups, with the experimental group placing greater salience on such values as "salvation,""inner harmony,""wisdom," and being "intellectual." The pre- and posttest analyses of the experimental group showed significantly higher emphasis on values expressed by the words "inner harmony,""intellectual," and "logical," and significant decreases in those expressed as "true friendship,""mature love,""an exciting life," and "polite." Findings suggest that values inquiry remains an elusive and intriguing field of study, worth pursuing to discover the impact of instruction in students, and ultimately, the mass media profession. (Four tables of data are included and 41 references are attached.) (Author/SR)