interesting article...
I wouldn't be surprised to find the news reading rate to have strong correlations to the literacy rate...

although I also recently read an article talking about the decline of the printed news industry in Taiwan, and they are very much a reading culture... (http://www.nownews.com/2009/09/07/142-2502353.htm --in chinese)

proud, of course! now your wife will be thrilled when you tell her you need to go get some tequila!