The sympathy and style of his reports during the 1877 frontier war attracted the attention of Saul Solomon of the Cape Argus, who appointed the idealistic young journalist as sub-editor of that newspaper.
He took over as the Argus' editor in 1878, taking over from his beleaguered predecessor Patrick McLoughlin, who moved to start the liberal Cape Post newspaper with Francis Reginald Statham.
During his term as editor, Dormer was heavily involved in the controversy which followed the "Koegas atrocities", whereby the liberal media of the Cape attacked the incumbent Attorney General Thomas Upington for racism, and which saw Upington fight back with devastating lawsuits against figures such as Saul Solomon and Dormer which culminated in the "Fiat Justitia" trial of 1879.
Upington's ally, the Prime Minister Gordon Sprigg, also cancelled all government contracts with the Argus, causing further damage and leaving the newspaper in a very vulnerable state.
It was later revealed that the imperialist tycoon Cecil Rhodes had eyed the paper as a potential mouthpiece for his political aims and ideals.
He needed Dormer to act as a front for ownership of the newspaper given its history under Solomon of opposition to Rhodes's extravagant imperialism.
Rhodes's agent, John Blades Currey, had discreetly handed Dormer an envelope of the money for the purchase, in the square of the Cape Town Grand Parade.