Swaffer was appointed editor of The People in 1924, but was unsuited to the duties of editing a paper, and held the post for only a few months. He became drama critic of the Daily Express and its sister Sunday Express in 1926. Later, he said that although he enjoyed the company of actors, he disliked having to watch them acting, and he accused Noël Coward and others of being "non-existent talents".
Swaffer's career path involved a shift from editing The People to becoming a drama critic for the Daily Express and Sunday Express. He expressed his preference for being around actors but disliked observing their performances, leading to criticisms of certain performers' abilities.