José Antonio Zapata

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Jose Antonio Zapata Cabral

Jose Antonio Zapata Cabral is a journalist and editor of the newspaper METRO in Aguascalientes city. Born in 1969. Former CEO of the news web site Cu4tro.com. In the winter of 1999 he became the first digital journalist in Aguascalientes, starting with Cu4tro.com, the first news portal ever made for this city.

During the existence of Cu4tro.com, Antonio Zapata discovered that the Foundation Act of Aguascalientes city was stolen from the Historical Archive. After an investigation the government, which initially downplayed the information provided by Zapata, was forced to acknowledge that the Foundation Act of Aguascalientes city was indeed lost. Despite this notice, the document has never been recovered.

Later, based in the same web site, Zapata launched the first free commuter daily newspaper in Aguascalientes. He coordinated the press bureau for the political campaign for Arturo Robles Aguilar to get elected as Federal Deputy at the Congress. Antonio Zapata was also the first 'zone newspapers' editor in Aguascalientes city, creating the first zonal information network in the city, including the major districts (colonias) in the city. After that, Antonio Zapata launched Aguascalientes' first free weekly commuter and public service newspaper, with employment ads and urban bus routes.

During this new endeavour, Antonio Zapata discovered a political cell of neo-Nazis who looked for the supremacy of classes over the most impoverished sectors of the city. Once again, in spite of this discovery, the government of Aguascalientes again disregarded the investigation, but international organizations backed up the journalist, and documented the case in other countries.

Currently he hosts a daily Internet radio program with news, editorial comments, and an amusing intro/outro that typically features the music of a favorite band or artist; Zapata is something of a connoisseur of 1980s pop and rock. He also investigates journalism in Aguascalientes.

Jose Antonio Zapata also started the first Internet TV service focused on Aguascalientes. Also he deployed the first Podcast service, with streaming audio and video feeds related to Aguascalientes.

In November 2005, he joined the [ourmedia.org] web site as the moderator for the Spanish worldwide initiative to bring to Hispanic people knowledge to conduct citizen journalism using audio and video.

In september 2006, he was elected as General Secretary of the Reporters Association of Aguascalientes (Asociación de Reporteros de Aguascalientes).