Interviewing activists in Syria on Democracy Now

This baffled me. That Amy Goodman still, like the Western correspondents in the Times and Post talk to what they call "activists" in rebel-held areas.  What does that mean? There was activism in Syria during the early months of the uprising before it became a civil war with outside intervention from all sides. Do they mean that you can live in Nusrah-held area or other rebel-held areas and be an activist?  An activist for what? democracy and feminism in Ghutah?  What does that mean? And how do they obtain the phone numbers of those "activists"? This like saying that the Syrian regime allows activism and dissent in its areas.  It is sad that even leftist Democracy Now does not deviate ONE BIT from the mainstream media narrative on Syria.  Not one bit.  From Democracy Now to WSJ, passing through the Economist, they all sound the same.