She is an American, by the way.

I don't agree that studies done by media sources are immediately biased, as they contract out market research companies to conduct them, who are obliged to adhere to certain rules. However, how they use the results can be misleading.

They did a study here in NZ that said that most NZ kids couldn't locate NZ on a map. It doesn't mean they're stupid, just means their perspective is flawed. I would say that most Americans (myself included) are truly geographical novices. But to me, knowing where somewhere is doesn't make you smart. Knowledge is nice, but not a measure of intelligence. Your ability to reason, analyse, etc. is what makes someone truly intelligent.