Hull Daily Mail defends porn web designer investigation as 'public interest'

The Hull Daily Mail has defended its investigation into the business activities of the owner of a rival community news site, claiming reports are in the public interest.

The articles claim that founder of community site HU17.net Paul Smith has designed thousands of hardcore pornography websites, while also offering design services to local councillors and community groups.

The pieces state that while the pornographic websites that Smith helped to design do not contain illegal material, the local businessman has not identified his links to this industry when working with local clients, including East Riding Council.

But the articles have provoked strong reaction from readers of the Mail's website, with several criticising the mail for tabloid tactics and irresponsible journalism.

"Our coverage has been entirely legitimate and in the public interest. It was wholly accurate and responsible," said Hull Daily Mail editor John Meehan.

"We reported fully Mr Smith's explanation for his activities related to pornographic websites. We even carried a piece in our newspaper from Mr Smith's website accusing us of mounting a 'smear campaign' against him.

"We believe it is important that people and organisations in Beverley are fully aware of Mr Smith's activities. They can then make their own minds up about whether he is an appropriate person to be running and producing content for a community website."

The articles, published in print and on the paper's website this week, have generated hundreds of comments criticising the paper and supporting Smith. Several comments have drawn attention to the Mail's own website for the Beverley area, suggesting the expose of Smith's activities is driven by a competitive rivalry.

"The story has provoked considerable discussion on our website. Many of the comments are misinformed, but we have continued to allow people to post their comments because we believe passionately in freedom of expression, within the boundaries of the law," said Meehan.

"Irrespective of the nature of Mr Smith's HU17.net website, it is perfectly normal and responsible for us to investigate rumours of dubious activity involving a person with a public profile in the local community, who has become a member of a representative group promoting a town in our locality, and whose work has been actively promoted by the local authority," Meehan added in response to a question from Journalism.co.uk about the relationship between the Mail's own local news microsite for Beverley and HU17.

In a comment piece published yesterday, the Mail said its investigation into Smith's businesses was in the public interest.

"We had heard rumours of Mr Smith's sordid activities and became particularly concerned when his Beverley website was endorsed by East Riding Council. We decided to investigate, as we would in any such circumstances. The result is the revelations we publish today.

"What Mr Smith has done is not illegal, but it is certainly not consistent with publishing a responsible local website carrying reports, pictures and videos of community events and activities, including many featuring children. It is in the public interest that people know the truth about the man behind HU17.net."

According to the HU17 website, the number of domain names owned by Smith is 112 not almost 4,000 as one of the Mail's reports claimed. Smith also disputes the Mail's claims that he agreed to build a website promoting escort services after being approached by a reporter from the paper posing as a client.

In a separate post, Smith has suggested he may lose business as a result of the Mail's coverage. Today the Mail has published a story on the support for the web publisher.

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