ONE of the most common complaints made against newspapers is that they publish too much bad news and not enough good news.

It is a concern felt particularly strongly by young people who believe the public image of their generation is unfairly tainted by unbalanced media reporting.

Members of a community youth group in Darlington called Peer Support 2000 made precisely that point to the editor of this newspaper three years ago.

That resulted in The Northern Echo and Darlington Partnership launching the hugely successful Positive Young People Awards held annually at the town's Civic Theatre to celebrate the achievements of local youngsters.

We believe that it is important to herald the positive contributions made by young people to society, by publishing their photographs along with details of their academic achievements, artistic accomplishments, sporting successes, and community work.

It is hugely rewarding and motivational for young people to be placed on a pedestal through local papers like The Northern Echo.

Yet newspapers now face an increasing threat from education authorities, schools and other youth organisations to block such positive publicity because of fears that it helps paedophiles identify victims.

One such dispute has blown up between a newspaper in Northamptonshire and a primary school where the headteacher says some pupils received strange telephone calls after their names and photographs were published.

There is not an editor in the country who would knowingly place children at risk from sex offenders. We live in an age when the security of children has never been so high on the agenda.

But common sense has to prevail. Millions of names and photographs of children are published every day without producing any evidence of a link to paedophilia.

It will be very sad indeed if that colossal amount of positive, motivational publicity is sacrificed in favour of first names only, pixilated faces or nothing at all.

Yes, we must protect our children - but they must not be wrapped so tightly in cotton wool that they can't enjoy life.