Although his formal title was "associate editor", editors Dez Skinn and Paul Neary gave him a largely free hand to decide what textual content the magazine would have each week — since he would also have to write it. This gave him a kind of influence over the direction of the magazine that was not true of most people who subsequently held the title of "associate editor". (MM VHS 47) However, this also meant that the magazine was entirely dependent on Bentham's ability to write each issue. He left in 1982, some two-and-a-half years after Weekly had morphed into Monthly. (MM VHS 18)