In response to rising public criticism of the media and demand for accountability, leaders among professional journalists are calling for a renewed emphasis on codes of ethics and deliberate attention to moral action. In examining the importance and relevance of ethics to high school journalism, three principles for the teaching of ethics emerge: (1) a philosophical distinction between the legal rights and moral implications is essential; (2) case studies and concrete examples need to be used as tools for classroom discussion; and (3) the process of decision making and analytical thinking should be the central focus of the unit. Three examples of ideal teaching units are a unit prepared by Dennis Cripe that emphasizes ethical concepts separate from legal rights, a unit on moral decision making, and a unit used at a high school summer journalism institute at the University of South Carolina College of Journalism, in which case studies are presented and students are forced to consider the moral implications apart from the legal considerations. (A model for ethical decision making is included.) (DF)