National Geographic looks at the 20 or so amateur mapmakers producing digital maps of the Syrian civil war. Some are neutral, some are partial to one side, all are dealing with the challenges of producing accurate, up-to-date information far from the front lines.
The rise of these next-generation mapmakers comes as many news organizations around the world are reducing their commitment to foreign coverage. And reporting from conflict zones remains as dangerous as ever. According to Reporters Without Borders, 50 journalists and 142 citizen journalists have been killed in Syria since 2011. The lack of on-the-ground coverage by journalists leaves an information gap that is being filled by these digitally savvy mapmakers.
[WMS]