In Western coverage of Syria, the activists are reporters and the Western reporters are activists

Look at this sentence in the report by Rolling Stone graduate, Damien Cave:  "activists reported finding 40 bodies in one suburb".  So the activists now report? And what were the activists doing on the scene? Are those activists active in FSA gangs or are they just roving activists who report for Mr. Damien Cove with is overwhelmed with the assignment?