I respect it when I hear someone clearly attempting a word they've only seen written

Definitely. We hates them.

That depends. Which type of media has a denser word count, and goes into deeper detail? Which format requires active attention to consume? Which format enables side by side comparison with other works? Which formats sacrifice accuracy to try and grab attention with dazzle and drama? Which format uses more varied vocabulary and sentence structure?

But it isn't saying someone is smarter. It may be more accurate to ask which person is better informed; a reader or a watcher / listener?