Jose Antonio Zapata Cabral

Jose Antonio Zapata Cabral (born 1969) is a Mexican journalist in the Mexican city of Aguascalientes. He is the former CEO of the news web site Cu4tro.com, Metroaguascalientes.com and Oigo.com.mx. Currently is CEO at the journalistic news site and reporter in El Heraldo de Aguascalientes. 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 initially downplaying the information provided by Zapata, the government, following an investigation, was forced to acknowledge that the Foundation Act of Aguascalientes city was indeed lost. 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 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).

In September 2007, he hosted a commercial radio program at ACIR named Ya no hay respeto, which tries to open discussion about popular myths and hard topics, but after a strong criticize to the Governor Luis Armando Reynoso Femat, the entire station was threatened with a suspension of the public founds if they keep the program. In December 2007, the program finally was suspended.

In January 2008, Zapata started the first internet radio station which broadcast 24/365 news, interviews and radio programs. In September 2008 he was invited by Radio Educación to teach internet radio skills to the professionals of the industry at the 7th International Biennial of Radio, and ratified for the same class in the 8th Biennial 2010, which will be realized from October 4 to 8 in Mexico City.

From November 2008 to April 2009, was Chief Editor of La Jornada Aguascalientes newspaper.

From January to July 2010, he worked as web strategy director for the candidate for governor of Aguascalientes, Carlos Lozano de la Torre, and created a digital and social media campaign that was considered the sixth best placed in Mexico, according to the magazine 'Digital Policy'.