A "talebearer" is one who bears a tail, a story, or "news". In other words, he is a gossip. Proverbs 26 speaks of this type of person in the sense of one who intends to bring bad or disparaging information about another. This is one that meddles in strife that is not his own. He hears something from another and carries the tale to others. The tale does not even have to be true. The damaging news would not spread If it were not for the talebearer. Strife ceases when there are no talebearers. The tales the talebearer spreads bring damage to the one of whom he speaks.
You can tell when you are listening to a talebearer. You can tell who not to listen to when it you know that he is dissembling . He is a person of hatred and deceit. We are not supposed to believe such people.
Except in wartime and against an enemy who would want to forward deceit? In wartime and against an enemy it's called "Propaganda".
