Antonio R. López

Professional Bio (short)

Antonio R. López's goal as an educator, journalist, media producer and speaker is to bridge worlds—mental, cultural, physical and spiritual. López is an expert on media, culture, Native American and Latino issues. He was a content provider for a groundbreaking Spanish language media and health CDROM produced by the New Mexico Media Literacy Project, Medio y Remedios. Currently he is a nationally syndicated editorial writer for the Progressive Media Project's Latino Voices series. He teaches and trains instructors in outreach, media production and media literacy, specializing in rural communities. He's written for LA Weekly, Frontera, Hispanic Magazine, Urban Latino, Southwest Art, El Andar, In These Times, New Mexico Magazine, Native Peoples, Tricycle and Punk Planet. He was a staff arts writer for Santa Fe's daily newspaper, The New Mexican and the Albuquerque Journal. He received professional training at the Center for Investigative Reporting in San Francisco, and earned his BA in Peace and Conflict Studies at UC Berkeley and an MA in Media Studies at the New School University. After extensive travels through the United States of American, México, Guatemala, Peru, and Spain, the 39 year-old currently lives in New York City.

Antonio R. López Professional Bio (extended)

Antonio R. López is part of a new breed of Do-It-Yourself (DIY) trained journalists and media producers. At 39-years-of-age, López is a true product of the alternative press revolution. He cut his teeth as a music writer for LA-based underground music fanzines in the ‘80s. For over 15 years he has covered independent media for regional papers and national magazines. For several years López was a staff writer for the Santa Fe New Mexican's weekly arts and entertainment supplement, Pasatiempo, specializing in visual art, alternative media, youth, counterculture, and Native American and Latino issues. His weekly column, “Liner Notes,” covered the Northern New Mexico contemporary music scene.

In high school he helped found the now-defunct punk zine, Ink Disease, and co-founded a political art zine, Emissions. While in his 20s, López pursued a part-time career in freelance writing while working in the publishing business.

In the early ‘90s, López co-owned and operated Desert Moon Periodicals, an international distributor of alternative magazines. The business was the first to set up a mail-order zine catalog on the World Wide Web and was instrumental in promoting zines in an era right before mass consolidation of media companies. His booklet, The Zine Publisher's Distribution Handbook and Resource Guide, sold well to publishers and at alternative bookstores across the country.

In addition to being a zine expert, López has regularly published stories in magazines and newspapers relating to culture, art, travel, music, politics and media. His writing has appeared in Arté, Albuquerque Journal, Urban Latino, Hispanic Magazine, Frontera, Folio, Mondo 2000, East Bay Express, LA Weekly, Punk Planet, Big World, Tricycle, Factsheet Five, Crosswinds, Small Press, El Andar, Digital Press Manager, In These Times, New Mexico Magazine, The Santa Fean, Southwest Art, Native Peoples and Outpost. In addition, he has assisted investigative reporters on stories for Japan's Asahi TV, LA Times Sunday Magazine, and Mother Jones. Currently he's an editorialist for the Progressive Magazine's Latino Voices series, which is syndicated nationally through Knight Ridder. López also has stories published in travel anthology books.

López received professional training at the Center for Investigative Reporting in San Francisco, and earned his BA in Peace and Conflict Studies at UC Berkeley and an MA in Media Studies at the New School University. He’s also a trained media literacy expert and video producer.

While on a two-month pilgrimage walking across Spain, López decided to devote his life to educating and empowering youth about media, health and self-esteem. He began a new career as a teacher, trainer and curriculum specialist. As a public speaker, instructor and consultant, López works with Latino, Native American and other underserved communities creating service-learning projects, designing programs for AIDS, alcohol, drug and tobacco prevention using tools of digital media and literacy.

López was a content provider for a groundbreaking Spanish language media and health CDROM produced by the New Mexico Media Literacy Project, Medios y Remedios.

Clients include Center for the Preservation of Democracy, PBS' In The Mix, Brooklyn College Media Arts Network, Santa Fe Indian School, New Mexico Media Literacy Project, Pueblo of San Ildefonso, Tulalip Tribe, Salt River Pima Tribe, Boys and Girls Club, Taos Talking Pictures Film Festival, Washington State Tobacco Prevention Resource Center, Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, National Association of Latino Arts and Culture, Intel, Praxis Project, Warehouse 21, Center for Contemporary Arts, Santa Fe Public Schools, Española Valley High School and Santa Fe County.

After extensive travels through out the United States of America, Spain, México, Peru and Guatemala, López currently lives in New York City.