Historic Vietnam War photograph attribution suspended amid authorship doubts
The World Press Photo Foundation has suspended an authorship attribution awarded over 50 years ago to an Associated Press (AP) photographer for The Terror of War — the iconic image of a girl fleeing a napalm attack during the Vietnam War.
A report released by the organisation on Friday, local time, said that the decision had been made after claims were made in a recent documentary by The VII Foundation not-for-profit that American-Vietnamese AP photographer Nick Út was not the true author of the image taken in 1972.
Mr Út was awarded the World Press Photo of the Year in 1973 for the image.
"This prompted deep reflection at World Press Photo and a subsequent investigation between January and May 2025 in regards to the photo's authorship," a World Press Photo statement said.
"In our report, we share investigative analysis that, based on analysis of location, distance, and the camera used on that day, photographers Nguyễn Thành Nghệ or Huỳnh Công Phúc may have been better positioned to take the photograph, rather than Nick Út.
"Therefore, we have suspended the attribution of 'The Terror of War' to Nick Út, from today.
"Importantly, the photograph itself remains undisputed, and the World Press Photo award for this significant photo of a major moment in 20th century history remains a fact.
"Only the authorship is suspended and under review. This remains contested history, and it is possible that the author of the photograph will never be fully confirmed."
The Amsterdam-based organisation said the two other potential authors, Mr Nghệ and Mr Phúc, were both present for the infamous scene photographed in the southern village of Trang Bang on June 8, 1972.
Mr Út insisted the image was his in a February Facebook post, calling claims to the contrary "a slap in the face".
World Press Photo's report adds to the muddle over an issue that has split the photographic community since the release of The VII Foundation's documentary, titled The Stringer.
The photo of a naked and terrified Kim Phuc became an iconic symbol of the war's tragedy.
Ms Phuc survived her injuries and is now a Canadian citizen and outspoken advocate for child war victims.
After two investigations, AP said it found no definitive evidence to warrant stripping Mr Út's photo credit.
The AP said it was possible Mr Út took the picture, but the passage of time made it impossible to fully prove, and could find no evidence to prove anyone else did.
"We conclude that the level of doubt is too significant to maintain the existing attribution," Joumana El Zein Khoury, the executive director of World Press Photo, said.
"At the same time, lacking conclusive evidence pointing definitively to another photographer, we cannot reassign authorship, either."
World Press Photo, is an organisation whose photojournalism awards are considered influential in photography. A spokesperson for the group said it won't attempt to recover the cash award given to Mr Út.
Mr Út's lawyer, James Hornstein, said his client hadn't spoken to World Press Photo after some initial contact before The Stringer was released.
Gary Knight, a producer of The Stringer, is a four-time judge of the World Press Photo awards and a consultant to the World Press Photo Foundation.
The AP said on Friday that its standards "require proof and certainty to remove a credit and we have found that it is impossible to prove exactly what happened that day on the road or in the [AP] bureau over 50 years ago".
"We understand World Press Photo has taken different action based on the same available information, and that is their prerogative," the statement said.
"There is no question over AP's ownership of the photo."
Meanwhile, the Pulitzer Prize that Mr Út won for the photo appears safe.
The Pulitzer depends on news agencies who enter the awards to determine authorship, and administrator Marjorie Miller — a former AP senior editor — pointed to the AP's study showing insufficient proof to withdraw credit.
"The board does not anticipate future action at this time," she said on Friday.
AP/AFP
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