I wrote two days ago about The Sun's decision to publish the name of the 15-year-old pupil arrested after the death of teacher Ann Maguire in a Leeds school.
Although it was the only mainstream media outlet to do so, I pointed out that it did not break the law.
The Sun later issued a statement, carried by Press Gazette, in which it said it "was within its legal right to name the suspect in the Leeds case and felt it was a matter of public interest."
But the two papers that cover Leeds - the Yorkshire Post and Yorkshire Evening Post - refused to identify the boy (who was named widely online in social media outlets).
The papers' editor-in-chief, Jeremy Clifford, told HoldTheFrontPage that he took the view that the teenager's identity should have been protected by law from the start.
Clifford, speaking before the youth was charged, said: "He's under 16 so as soon as he goes into the legal process his identity will be protected."
That was, of course, correct. Once the boy was charged with murder and appeared before a youth court his identity was legally protected. Similarly, when he appears before Leeds crown court, the judge is sure to make an order prohibiting his being named.
In his HoldTheFrontPage interview, Clifford went on to criticise The Sun's decision. He said it highlighted the distinction drawn between the national and regional media in the Leveson report.
Clifford said: "This absolutely underlines the differences between the practices of the national media and the local media, which were exemplary in their behaviour and which should therefore not be subject to any modifications to press freedom."
