You don’t need to be a cartographer. You don’t need special software.
And you don’t need to violate copyright laws to produce an accurate
map.

If you need maps of countries and states, you can find an impressive
variety of styles in most clip-art collections (like the example here,
from the Art Explosion CD). Once you buy the collection — or
subscribe to an online clip-art service — those maps are yours to
print or modify.

But remember: You cannot simply scan and reprint someone else’s map without their permission.

For one thing, map details don’t copy well — they’ll probably look messy and fuzzy. But more importantly, most professional maps are copyrighted, and copying is stealing. Use them only as references to guide you in creating your own.

This applies to online maps, as well. You cannot simply grab a screenshot and republish it. (Even adding a credit line doesn't make the theft justified. Sorry.)

But you can use online maps as a guide for redrawing your own maps. And better yet — for online stories, anyway — Google allows you customize their maps to add layers of new information with journalistic value, then share the results with your readers. (For more details, tour the My Maps options at maps.google.com).