I think Armstrong's treatment in the media is rather reflective of the relatively low degree of prestige the entire space program currently enjoys.

What I mean by this is that a number of people alive today no longer regard the fact that we landed on the moon with any particular reverence. This, I think, is due in large part to the as-of-yet unrealized potential of space exploration in general.

Had we been at a point in our evolution where space travel had demonstrated more tangible changes in daily life, the reaction would quite likely have been different. This isn't my personal opinion vis a vis Apollo 11, but rather my best guess as to how it is perceived by the public at large.

I for one look forward to the day when we all look back on NASA's early achievements with awe, and note precisely how much our world changed on a July day in 1969.