Under Seltzer's leadership, the Press gained the largest circulation of any newspaper in Ohio and cultivated a reputation as a "fighting paper" that "fought like hell for the people".

He also gained a reputation as a "kingmaker" for his successful sponsorship of numerous local politicians, including Cleveland mayors Anthony Celebrezze and Frank J. Lausche, who later became governor of Ohio and a United States Senator.

Although his father started to earn money as a writer about a year later, by then Seltzer was successful enough at his own job that he refused to quit and return to school.

[4] During his editorship, Seltzer was the subject of "glowing"[4] profiles in the national media, which emphasized his civic mindedness, his flamboyant public persona, and the freewheeling atmosphere of the Press newsroom.

[4][8] Seltzer emphasized the public service aspect of the Press and was personally involved in numerous civic and charitable endeavors.

[3] As editor of the Cleveland Press, "Seltzer vigorously developed the notion that his reporters were watchdogs for the public over political and governmental affairs".

[5] According to later writer James Neff, "When local government did not function, the Press struck with editorial might, even if it meant using a sledgehammer to crush a gnat.

[10] F. Lee Bailey, one of Sheppard's lawyers, later wrote that "Seltzer used his newspaper like a club, ordering politicians around like minions and intimidating everyone who disagreed with him.

If Seltzer was roused, he would spread a personally penned editorial across eight columns of his newspaper, seeking to grind some unfortunate dissident under his heel".

Seltzer argued that he was convinced the Sheppard family was involved in a conspiracy to get away with murder and that he personally wrote the editorials, instead of passing them off to one of his employees, out of concern for the safety of his staff.

[2] After retiring as editor of the Press in 1966, Seltzer occasionally wrote columns for suburban newspapers and also published a collection of character sketches, Six and God (1966).