From 1870, Stead contributed articles to the fledgling liberal Darlington newspaper "The Northern Echo", and in 1871, despite his inexperience, was made the editor of the newspaper. At the time, Stead at just 22, was the youngest newspaper editor in the country. Stead used Darlington's excellent railway connections to his advantage, increasing the newspaper's distribution to national levels. Stead was always guided by a moral mission, influenced by his faith, and wrote to a friend that the position would be "a glorious opportunity of attacking the devil".