Pursue enterprising journalism. Skepticism is healthy when looking into ethics. Seligman recommended looking at paper trails that are available to the public such as real estate records. (At another panel, an audience member suggested tapping into the resources of "searchers" at Title companies. They can help you find the records you're looking for.)

John Aravosis AMERICAblog:

You have to work to get coverage. Re-emphasized looking at what information is available to the public. Sometimes a story isn't told because everyone assumes since it's so easy to get the information, the main stream media must have already pursued it--or will pursue it. If you have something, and no one is covering it, get it out there.

Adam Green MoveOn.org:

The most compelling stories come from everyday people. Talk to them. And when they talk, let it be awkward--that's ok. (This was in relation to public events). Press releases-work on them. You need to plan events to build excitement for what you're trying to call attention to.

Sam Seder Air America:
Trying to get a story to a radio host

Be conscious of what you're trying to sell and to whom. Give the media a hook: they need to "get it" quickly, so you need to do the work for them (Seder gets ~200 emails a day). Never assume the story is obvious. Always assume there will be obstacles to getting your story out there and work to overcome those obstacles. Go for where you can get access and concentrate on building up (Seder said, "Go for the low hanging fruit.")