Snitching is when you tell on someone to get yourself out of trouble.

Informing law enforcement of a crime for any other reason is just someone performing their civic duty.

Intelligence agency term for "psychological operation". A government or corporate-sponsored operation, usually taking the form of a "terrorist attack" or "crazed gunman on a spree", with the intent of panicking the public into demanding more police and laws inhibiting freedom. Psyops are usually carried out by drugging a civilian or group of civilians with aggression-promoting drugs, psyching them up, arming them, and sending them out to commit mayhem. Government-sponsored terrorism. See also blackshirts, conspiracy

When someone rats out a person or group to the police for their own benefit or gain.

When somebody runs to the police or somebody of authority to turn in somebody over something minor and can be fixed easily. Turning in somebody for something SERIOUS does NOT count as snitching.

The release of information about a noun ( person, place, or thing) to someone not involved in said event such as law enforcement or as simple as a girlfriend. It can be (1) direct telling, snitching or (2) indirectly, dry snitching.

Snitching is a key component to black culture. If you cooperate with the police in any way, you're a snitch.