Is news being dumbed down or are we getting dumber?

Many people say that the news is being dumbed down, and it is possible to argue very strongly that it is partly because of the modern generation. Take the coverage of "celebrities" for example, we can now find out just as much about Nicole Ritchie as what's happening in Iraq. When Bill Bryson wrote that a survey "had found that most American teenagers were as stupid as pig dribble" he was on to something, do these people want to be kept informed of the Australian elections? No, they want to know what Madonna or Brad Pitt is up to. The same can be said for modern Britain, "celebrity" programmes litter television now, and it's starting to get annoying. In short the news is getting dumber, we are.