I am studying A2 Media Studies, along with English literature and Language, History, Psychology and AEA English. I have found that of all of this Media Studies has been the least challenging of all of them, and I agree that it is a soft option. Please make it harder for all our sakes!

Meggie, Plymouth, UK

The A level Critical Research unit is being removed from the new OCR specification because it was unpopular. It was a very important and potentially rigorous unit . Media studies is sadly a weaker subject because there is far too much production in it. QCA now allowed 50% production. Dumbed down.

M. D. Walford, Coventry , UK

Have these people who consider Media Studies to be a "soft option" actually tried studying it for two years? I'm currently studying A2 Media, and as well as being enjoyable and very rewarding, it has also been extremely hard work, especially alongside other subjects, and has required the most effort

Lizzie, Cardiff,

Students have always known themselves, that there is a heirarchy of subjects, it used to be sociology, economics and art that usd to be at the bottom of the pile, while physics and maths were at the top. The same principle applies with university degrees, again sociology and economics were at the bottom

Stephen, St. Ives, England

The OCR A Level Media Studies has a Critical Research Study element which requires students to carry out their own research into some of the more complex aspects of media theory. They can take into the exam a small amount of handwritten notes in order that the statistics that they have gathered do not have to be learned by heart and they can then concentrate on the theoretical aspects of the question. This research element is a clear link between A Levels and university. Students of Media Studies are well equipped for work and study in the wider world and are eminently employable due to the skills that they have developed on the course. If I were a cynic I might come to the conclusion that this is just another example of the media not wishing to be scrutinised and choosing the 'soft option' of knocking Media Studies rather than taking an informed approach to a subject that develops critical thinking about issues of representation, audience and institution.

Kate, London,

It's also more important than English and history.

Eddie Reader, birmingham, england

as if we didn't already know. Considering that Cambridge includes Media Studies on it's list of soft options, it is bound to be less academically challenging than English. Personally I am wary of any A Level with 'studies' in it's name (excluding religious studies).

Chloe, Nottingham,

As a linguist - Latin, Greek, French, English - I have long argued that linear subjects are more demanding than modular ones. The tendency to reduce some subjects to 'bite-size chunks' in recent years has added to this disparity at both GCSE and A-Level. When this "reductio ad absurdum" has been pointed out, it has fallen upon deaf ears, both in and out of school. Those obsessed with league tables fail to understand that little Tommy will get higher marks in less demanding subjects and use the 'evidence' to prove teachers in the more rigorous subjects are not working hard enough. Spare me the appalling prospect that, one day, every subject will be examined only by multiple-guess tick-box papers!

Michael Sadler, London,

Good God another report telling us something we already knew. Up there with 'people with heart disease die younger than those with a healthy heart on average'!!

Ami, dorset,