Why do most documentary photographers shoot in black and white?

Why do most documentary photographers shoot in black and white?
Firstly, it should be noted that it is incorrect to say that all documentary photographers shoot black and white, but there are reasons why a large number of them decide to do so. We will analyse them all in the following paragraphs. Still, the main one is that by removing this layer of information, the viewer can focus on the essentials, the content inside the frame, and the message the photographer wants to convey.

But if documentary photography is to be truthful, shouldn’t it, for that reason, be shown in colour?
Yes, truthfulness is one of the main characteristics of documentary photography, but this has nothing to do with colours or their absence, but with the photographer and the way the content is presented. Putting the question in reverse, are all colour photographs accurate representations of reality? We know very well that the answer is a definite no, and all we need is to open any social network to realise that the photos that reach the top of popularity sound fake all over their pixels. So the truth is not in the support but in the message.

So let’s now analyse the reasons why most documentary photographers shoot in black and white