In the 1820s Hetherington became influenced by the ideas of Robert Owen and joined the co-operative printers association. He also became active in the Radical Reform Association. In the 1830s Hetherington published a series of radical newspapers including: The Penny Papers (1830); The Radical (1831) and The Poor Man's Guardian (1831-1835). Hetherington used his newspapers to campaign for the vote for the working classes.