Vocational or wise-the choice for student journalists

I am torn by the comments of Nick Davies which have been reported by Press Gazette today.

The author of Flat Earth News has caused a stir in his comments at City University

there is a danger with the courses: there are now hundreds of them which claim to teach these skills, but a great many of them are genuine crap, taught by people who haven't the faintest idea of how to do the job."

and

dismissed suggestions made recently by Eastern Daily Press deputy editor Paul Durrant that vocational training was more important than a degree for aspiring journalists.

Coming to the end of three years of a journalism degree,I have certainly been taught the vocational skills required for a journalism degree.

Being a mature student I have an advantage in coming into the university with world wise skills and deep knowledge of certain subjects.I do not have to reach for google every time that I want to write about something.

Where the system fails and this is not necessarily the fault of the university is that a lot of students don't come with that knowledge.I would put that down to a general failing of the education system which is geared to results and not to acquiring knowledge.

From the point of view of potential employers,surely they would prefer new journalists to come equipped with the vocational skills rather than have to invest in teaching those themselves.

However they would also want to see that potential applicants have a knowledge of the topics that they are going to be writing about.

A balance is required?