Now Jean-Jacques Taylor. Is Dallas' Only Daily Being Wadded Up Before Our Very Eyes?

And so it begins continues. Actually, it's been going on for years now. The slow, excruciatingly painful death of the newspaper, that is. I meet twentysomethings, even thirtysomethings every week who listen to the radio, who read blogs, who Tweet and Facebook and Skype and ... who shrug and giggle at...

By Richie Whitt

July 21, 2011

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And so it ~~begins~~ continues.

Actually, it's been going on for years now. The slow, excruciatingly painful death of the newspaper, that is.

I meet twentysomethings, even thirtysomethings every week who listen to the radio, who read blogs, who Tweet and Facebook and Skype and ... who shrug and giggle at the thought of carrying around a newspaper as though it were a chore akin to mowing the yard in the middle of the afternoon.

We read, it seems, every other month about another round of layoffs at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. And now the attrition seems to be escalating over at Dallas' Only Daily.

Next to jump the newsprint ship: sports columnist Jean-Jacques Taylor.

Beginning August 1 he'll be JJT of ESPNDallas.com. The move gives the web site -- powered by former DMN editor Barry Vigoda -- a throng of writers with newspaper backgrounds, and leaves the Morning News with an even more bare, embarrassing cupboard.

Don't always agree with Taylor's opinions and am not always blown away by his writing -- one can only stomach so much "ridiculous" and "poppycock" -- but I've got respect for the guy. He's at the big events and is obviously very well connected. Didn't catch his "Soul Patch" radio show on The Ticket but listeners told me it wasn't half bad.

Taylor, who was one of the DMN's remaining big hitters, is out of the newspaper business. He's also off The Ticket, appearing on ESPN Radio's Ben and Skin today to trumpet his transition.

It won't take JJT long to recognize his new co-workers: At ESPNDallas.com these days are former area newspaper writers:

Tim McMahon (DMN)

Todd Archer (DMN)

Richard Durrett (DMN)

Calvin Watkins (DMN)

Jeff Caplan (FWST)

Jim Reeves (FWST)

Also recently the Star-Telegram took another hit when Rangers beat writer Anthony Andro left to join FoxSportsSouthwest.com, where he'll team up with Matt Mosely (DMN) and Mike Fisher (FWST).

With the sharing of beat writers (DMN writer Eddie Sefko's Mavs stories appear in the FWST) and the skedaddling of quality talent to the Internet, all that's left in the once-proud newspaper "war" is this:

Randy Galloway/Gil LeBreton vs. Tim Cowlishaw/Kevin Sherrington.

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