Like Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Jolting Jack was still at his peak, hitting harder than ever, when his life and work was snatched from him, and from us.

Whether it involves embellished stories of heroism meant to drum up patriotic sentiment (Jessica Lynch, Pat Tillman) — or sophisticated “psychological operations” to spread false information — the militarization of the media continues to undermine the credibility of both the military and the media.

First the Fourth Estate became the Fourth Front in the ongoing and endless war on terror. Next the warriors got their own cable outlet: The Military Channel. Now, journalists of every stripe are becoming a part of the Pentagon’s own media psy-ops campaign.

As the Fourth Estate continues to morph into what General Tommy Franks calls the “Fourth Front” in the ongoing and endless war on terror, and as the lines blur ever-further between media and military psyops, the inevitable has finally happened. The Military Channel.