Las Vegas City Life has always been a phony corporate imitation of an alternative newspaper, but it was the best there was in the cesspool of Las Vegas "professional journalism" (i.e., corporate media whores), far better than the Mercury or the Weekly. Now it has become an utterly worthless rag, with the corporate coup instituted by Stephens Media Group's takeover of the paper. While the Mercury has been folded, it would be more accurate to say the Mercury has taken over City Life.

Geoff Schumacher takes over as interim editor, from being editor and publisher of the Mercury. Schumacher was formerly managing editor of City Life, but left it to move on to greener pastures with SMG. Andrew Kiraly (also a former City Life writer) takes the #2 spot as managing editor. Matt O'Brien has been demoted to news editor, #3 on the totem pole. This must be utterly humiliating for poor Matt, who until recently ruled the roost at City Life. Look for him to be forced out altogether soon, anyway.

Long time media "personality" George Knapp has been brought in, while Saab Lofton's popular column has been unceremoniously dropped. This amounts to a racist purge, as Saab was the only African-American writer at City Life, and consistently expressed the most leftist views there. Although I have been critical at times of Sabb's column, my criticisms have been from the left. You can be damn sure the new corporate masters of City Life didn't fire him for not being revolutionary enough!

I called Geoff Schumacher and briefly interviewed him. He had no idea what Las Vegas Indymedia was, and professed a total ignorance of it. When I asked him why Saab's column had been dropped, he first gave a very general, evasive answer. However, when I pressed him, he said "We think we can do better." When I asked him if he thought George Knapp would be better than Saab, he replied: "You don't strike me as a professional journalist"-- delivered, naturally, in a very cold, arrogant tone.

We should start a pressure campaign to demand that Saab's column be restored. Bring back Saab!