Cameron was born in Battersea, London of Scottish parentage. He began his career as an office dogsbody with the Weekly News in 1935. Having worked for Scottish newspapers and for the Daily Express in Fleet Street, he was rejected for military service in World War II. After the war, his experience reporting on the Bikini nuclear experiments turned him into a committed pacifist and a member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. He continued to work for the Express until 1950, briefly joined Picture Post, and then spent eight years with the News Chronicle.
With the advent of television, Cameron became well-known as a broadcaster, presenting several BBC series including Cameron Country. He wrote a successful radio play, The Pump (1973), and several books, including: