The article was capable of bearing a defamatory meaning for two reasons: it contained explicit statements and fair implications by the writer which could be considered defamatory, and it also republished defamatory statements made by others, for which a defendant, unless protected by a privilege, is as liable as if he had made the statements himself.
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The second point is even plainer. A federal court has recently referred to the "black-letter rule that one who republishes a libel is subject to liability just as if he had published it originally, even though he attributes the libelous statement to the original publisher, and even though he expressly disavows the truth of the statement." Hoover v. Peerless Publications, Inc., 461 F.Supp. 1206, 1209 (E.D.Pa. 1978). This rule has been widely recognized. See, e.g., Restatement, Second, Torts § 578 (1977) ("one who repeats or otherwise republishes defamatory matter is subject to liability as if he had originally published it"); 1 Harper James, supra, § 5.20 at 417; Prosser, Torts § 113 at 768 (4th ed. 1971). A good example of the application of this rule is Olinger v. American Savings and Loan Assoc., 409 F.2d 142, 144 (D.C. Cir. 1969). Defendant had sent a letter to plaintiff Olinger’s military superiors containing the statements "Mrs. Olinger reports that Col. Olinger is unwilling to permit her to sell the property and he will not keep the payments current on the first and second trust." As the court noted, this statement "was true' only because it was prefaced byMrs. Olinger reports that . . .’" Id. at 144. Stating that "[t]he law affords no protection to those who couch their libel in the form of reports or repetition" and that "the repeater cannot defend on the ground of truth simply by proving that the source named did, in fact, utter the statement," the court reversed a grant of summary judgment for the defendant. The republication rule applies to the press, as it does to others, although the press may deprive particular benefit from certain privileges discussed below. See Dixson v. Newsweek, Inc., 562 F.2d 626, 630-31 (10 Cir. 1977); Cepeda v. Cowles Magazines and Broadcasting, Inc., 328 F.2d 869, 871 (9 Cir.) (dictum), cert. denied, 379 U.S. 844, 85 S.Ct. 51, 13 L.Ed.2d 50 (1964); Pittsburgh Courier Pub. Co., Inc. v. Lubore, 200 F.2d 355 (D.C. Cir. 1952); Tilton v. Cowles Publishing Co., 76 Wash.2d 707, 459 P.2d 8, 16 (1969), cert. denied, 399 U.S. 927, 90 S.Ct. 2238, 26 L.Ed.2d 792 (1970); Lancour v. Herald Globe Ass’n, 111 Vt. 371, 17 A.2d 253, 256-57 (1941). Cf. St. Amant v. Thompson, 390 U.S. 727, 88 S.Ct. 1323, 20 L.Ed.2d 262 (1968); Greenbelt Cooperative Publishing Ass’n v. Bresler, 398 U.S. 6, 90 S.Ct. 1537, 26 L.Ed.2d 6 (1970). Any different rule would permit the expansion of a defamatory private statement, actionable but without serious consequences, into an article reaching thousands of readers, without liability on the part of the republisher. See Eldredge, supra, § 44 at 233; Venn v. Tennessean Newspapers, Inc., 201 F.Supp. 47, 56-57 (M.D.Tenn. 1962), aff’d mem. 313 F.2d 639 (6 Cir.), cert. denied, 374 U.S. 830, 83 S.Ct. 1872, 10 L.Ed.2d 1053 (1963); Metcalf v. Times Pub. Co., 20 R.I. 674, 40 A. 864, 865 (1898) ("If a man has not the right to go around [and] tell of charges made by one against another, much less should a newspaper have the right to spread it broadcast and in enduring form.")

Cianci v. New Times Pub. Co., 639 F.2d 54 (2d Cir. 1980).

Editing isn’t actually required, though a publisher has an opportunity to do so and clearly has actual awareness of what they publish, which is what basically gives rise to the liability. A retailed OTOH doesn’t have an opportunity to review and fact check everything they sell, nor to edit it. Thus they lack actual awareness and an opportunity to do more than not sell an entire book or periodical which may have only one or two defamatory elements in it.

BUT it doesn’t matter. Section 230 clearly states that no online user or provider shall be responsible for any information provided by another. Period. The end.

So it is impossible to be a "publisher" online unless you are really creating the content. A news site can be responsible for the news it posts. A blog like this one can’t be responsible for reposting that information, however. Even if it does so in bad faith.