 From 1923 to 1930, Bästlein worked as an editor at several KPD newspapers in Dortmund, Hagen, Wuppertal, Remscheid and Solingen.He was forced to appear in court several times for "press offenses" and once on a charge of high treason, but having learned in the interim about law regarding political offenses, he chose to defend himself, which he did successfully.In 1929, he was editor-in-chief of the "Bergische Arbeiterstimme" in Solingen and he became the KPD deputy district leader in Düsseldorf.