Latest news with #NguyenThanhNghe
CNN
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Who took ‘Napalm Girl'? World Press Photo ‘suspends' attribution for iconic Vietnam War image
World Press Photo has cast fresh doubt over the authorship of 'The Terror of War,' a picture better known as 'Napalm Girl,' amid growing debate about one of the 20th century's defining images. The organization, which named the image 'Photo of the Year' in 1973, announced Friday that it has 'suspended' its longstanding attribution to retired Associated Press (AP) photographer Nick Ut. An accompanying report said the 'visual and technical' evidence 'leans toward' an emerging theory that a Vietnamese freelance photographer, Nguyen Thanh Nghe, took the photo. It is the latest twist in a controversy sparked by 'The Stringer,' a documentary that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January claiming Nghe, not Ut, captured the iconic photo of a naked girl fleeing a napalm attack during the Vietnam War. Nghe was one of more than a dozen people stationed at a highway checkpoint outside the village of Trang Bang on June 8, 1972, as 9-year-old Phan Thi Kim Phuc and other villagers were mistaken for the enemy and bombarded by the South Vietnamese air force. (A year later, Ut won the Pulitzer Prize for the picture.) The film contains allegations that Nghe sold his photo to the AP before editors intervened to credit Ut, who was the agency's staff photographer in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) at the time. CNN could not independently assess the claims because the film's producer, the VII Foundation, did not respond to multiple requests for a copy of the documentary, which has not yet been publicly released. Ut has since repeatedly dismissed allegations that he did not take the photo. A statement released on the Vietnamese American photographer's behalf by his attorney, Jim Hornstein, called World Press Photo's decision to suspend attribution 'deplorable and unprofessional.' The statement added that Nghe's claim is 'unsupported by a scintilla of corroborating evidence or eyewitness.' Earlier this month, the AP published a 96-page report on the matter. The investigation — which was based on eyewitness interviews, examination of cameras, a 3D model of the scene and surviving photo negatives — found 'no definitive evidence' to justify changing the attribution. While the agency acknowledged that the passage of time and absence of key evidence made it 'impossible to fully prove' whether Ut took the photo, crediting Nghe would 'require several leaps of faith.' But World Press Photo took a different stance, with executive director Joumana El Zein Khoury writing on the organization's website that the 'level of doubt is too significant to maintain the existing attribution.' 'At the same time, lacking conclusive evidence pointing definitively to another photographer, we cannot reassign authorship either,' she continued, adding: 'The suspension will remain in place unless further evidence can clearly confirm or refute the original authorship.' Citing the AP investigation and the documentary, which included visual analysis by Paris-based research group Index, World Press Photo said there are 'substantial and credible reasons' to doubt the existing attribution. The organization's report centers on several 'unresolved issues,' including the camera used to take the photo and analyses of Ut's position relative to the image's vantage point. A reconstruction of the scene by Index, based on a 'geo-based timeline,' suggested that Ut would have needed to have 'taken the photo, run 60 meters (197 feet), and returned calmly, all within a brief window of time,' World Press Photo said. The organization described that scenario as 'highly unlikely' though 'not impossible.' The AP, meanwhile, has disputed the 60-meter figure, saying that Ut's purported position on the highway — which is based on 'shaky,' low-resolution footage filmed by a TV cameraman — could have been as little as 32.8 meters away from where the image was captured, and that the photographer 'could have been in the position to have taken the shot.' World Press Photo also pointed to ongoing questions over equipment. The AP has previously said it is 'likely' the photo was taken using a Pentax camera, which Nghe is known to have used. Ut, however, had frequently said he carried cameras by Leica and Nikon. When questioned for the AP's investigation, Ut told the agency he also used Pentax cameras. The photo agency said it subsequently found negatives in its archives, shot by Ut in Vietnam, with 'the characteristics of a Pentax camera.' World Press Photo also noted the possibility that another person altogether — Vietnamese military photographer Huynh Cong Phuc, who sometimes sold images to news agencies — took the photo. The AP's investigation noted that he, like Ut and Nghe, 'could have been in the position to have taken the shot.' Earlier this month, Ut welcomed the findings of the AP's latest report, saying in a statement that it 'showed what has always been known, that the credit for my photo … is correct.' He added: 'This whole thing has been very difficult for me and has caused great pain.' Appearing in the world's newspapers the day after it was taken, 'The Terror of War' became a symbol of opposition to the Vietnam War. In the decades since, Ut has campaigned for peace alongside the photo's subject, now known as Kim Phuc Phan Thi, who survived her injuries and was granted political asylum by Canada in 1992. Speaking to CNN to mark the image's 50th anniversary in 2022, the photographer recounted his version of events, saying: 'I saw Kim running and she (screamed in Vietnamese) 'Too hot! Too hot!' 'When I took the photo of her, I saw that her body was burned so badly, and I wanted to help her right away. I put all my camera gear down on the highway and put water on her body.' Ut said he put the injured children in his van and drove them for 30 minutes to a nearby hospital. 'When I went back to my office, the (dark room technician) and everyone who saw the picture told me right away it was very powerful, and that the photo would win a Pulitzer,' he added.
Boston Globe
17-05-2025
- Boston Globe
Photo group says it has ‘suspended attribution' of historic Vietnam picture because of doubts
Advertisement World Press Photo said its probe found that two other photographers — Nguyen Thanh Nghe, the man mentioned in 'The Stringer,' and Huynh Cong Phuc — 'may have been better positioned' to take the shot. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'We conclude that the level of doubt is too significant to maintain the existing attribution,' said Joumana El Zein Khoury, executive director of World Press Photo. 'At the same time, lacking conclusive evidence pointing definitively to another photographer, we cannot reassign authorship, either.' World Press Photo, an organization whose awards are considered influential in photography, won't attempt to recover the cash award given to Ut, a spokeswoman said. Ut's lawyer, James Hornstein, said his client hadn't spoken to World Press Photo after some initial contact before 'The Stringer' was released. 'It seems they had already made up their mind to punish Nick Ut from the start,' he said. Advertisement Gary Knight, a producer of 'The Stringer,' is a four-time judge of the World Press Photo awards and was once a consultant to the World Press Photo Foundation. The AP said 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 Ut won for the photo appears safe. The Pulitzers depend 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 Friday.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Investigations continue to find truth behind famous Vietnam War photo
A review by The Associated Press has reaffirmed the photo credit for one of the most iconic images of the Vietnam War, nearly 52 years after it was taken. The image, depicting a naked young girl fleeing a napalm attack, has long been attributed to AP photographer Nick Ut, and despite recent challenges, the news agency stands by its attribution. The review, a 96-page report and the second examination in recent months, was prompted by the documentary "The Stringer," which premiered at Sundance in January. The film alleges that the Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph was actually taken by Nguyen Thanh Nghe, not Ut. The AP's investigation delved into the historical record, examining available evidence and technological limitations, ultimately concluding that there is "no definitive evidence" to support changing the photo credit. While acknowledging the possibility that Ut captured the image, the AP report highlights the challenges in definitively proving authorship after so many years. The passage of time, the absence of crucial evidence, technological constraints, and the deaths of key individuals involved have all contributed to the complexity of the situation. The report explicitly states that the investigation found no proof that Nguyen took the photograph. This reinforces the AP's stance on maintaining the existing attribution to Nick Ut. 'We left nothing uncovered that we're aware of and we've done it with a great deal of respect to everybody involved,' said Derl McCrudden, an AP vice president who heads global news production. 'It makes no difference to us if we changed the credit, but it has to be based on facts and evidence. And there is no definitive evidence proving that Nick Ut did not take this picture.' The AP's latest study involved further interviews, examination of cameras, building a 3D model of the scene and studying photo negatives that survive from June 8, 1972, the date of the photo. The report revealed inconsistencies on both sides. The prize-winning photo was apparently taken on a Pentax camera, not a Leica as Ut had long claimed. Nguyen told AP he was not working for NBC that day, as was earlier asserted. Of 10 people on the scene that day that the AP reached, Nguyen is the only one who believes that Ut didn't take the picture, the report said. The report said that believing Nguyen's story would require several leaps of faith, including believing that the only time he ever sold a photo to a Western news agency it turned out to be one of the most famous images of the century. An attorney for Ut did not immediately return an email Tuesday. Ut has strongly maintained that the photo is his.
The Independent
06-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
Associated Press finds 'no definitive evidence' to change credit for famous Vietnam War photo
Months after the release of a film that questions who took an iconic Vietnam War image of a naked girl running from a napalm attack, The Associated Press said Tuesday it had found 'no definitive evidence' to warrant changing a nearly 52-year-old photo credit. The AP released a 96-page report — its second examination in less than four months — about who actually took the Pulitzer Prize-winning photo credited to Nick Ut that became one of the defining images of the 20th century. A documentary shown at Sundance in January, 'The Stringer,' asserts that it was actually shot by another man, Nguyen Thanh Nghe, but that credit was given to Ut, an AP staff photographer. The AP concluded that it was 'possible' Ut took the photo, but it was unable to be proven conclusively due to the passage of time, absence of key evidence, limitations of technology and the deaths of several key people involved. At the same time, AP found no proof that Nguyen took the photo, the report said. 'We left nothing uncovered that we're aware of and we've done it with a great deal of respect to everybody involved,' said Derl McCrudden, an AP vice president who heads global news production. 'It makes no difference to us if we changed the credit, but it has to be based on facts and evidence. And there is no definitive evidence proving that Nick Ut did not take this picture.' The AP's latest study involved further interviews, examination of cameras, building a 3D model of the scene and studying photo negatives that survive from June 8, 1972, the date of the photo. The report revealed inconsistencies on both sides. The prize-winning photo was apparently taken on a Pentax camera, not a Leica as Ut had long claimed. Nguyen told AP he was not working for NBC that day, as was earlier asserted. Of 10 people on the scene that day that the AP reached, Nguyen is the only one who believes that Ut didn't take the picture, the report said. The report said that believing Nguyen's story would require several leaps of faith, including believing that the only time he ever sold a photo to a Western news agency it turned out to be one of the most famous images of the century. An attorney for Ut did not immediately return an email Tuesday. Ut has strongly maintained that the photo is his. ___ David Bauder writes about media for the AP. Follow him at and
Associated Press
06-05-2025
- General
- Associated Press
Associated Press finds 'no definitive evidence' to change credit for famous Vietnam War photo
Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] Months after the release of a film that questions who took an iconic Vietnam War image of a naked girl running from a napalm attack, The Associated Press said Tuesday it had found 'no definitive evidence' to warrant changing a nearly 52-year-old photo credit. The AP released a 96-page report — its second examination in less than four months — about who actually took the Pulitzer Prize-winning photo credited to Nick Ut that became one of the defining images of the 20th century. A documentary shown at Sundance in January, 'The Stringer,' asserts that it was actually shot by another man, Nguyen Thanh Nghe, but that credit was given to Ut, an AP staff photographer. The AP concluded that it was 'possible' Ut took the photo, but it was unable to be proven conclusively due to the passage of time, absence of key evidence, limitations of technology and the deaths of several key people involved. At the same time, AP found no proof that Nguyen took the photo, the report said. 'We left nothing uncovered that we're aware of and we've done it with a great deal of respect to everybody involved,' said Derl McCrudden, an AP vice president who heads global news production. 'It makes no difference to us if we changed the credit, but it has to be based on facts and evidence. And there is no definitive evidence proving that Nick Ut did not take this picture.' The AP's latest study involved further interviews, examination of cameras, building a 3D model of the scene and studying photo negatives that survive from June 8, 1972, the date of the photo. The report revealed inconsistencies on both sides. The prize-winning photo was apparently taken on a Pentax camera, not a Leica as Ut had long claimed. Nguyen told AP he was not working for NBC that day, as was earlier asserted. Of 10 people on the scene that day that the AP reached, Nguyen is the only one who believes that Ut didn't take the picture, the report said. The report said that believing Nguyen's story would require several leaps of faith, including believing that the only time he ever sold a photo to a Western news agency it turned out to be one of the most famous images of the century. An attorney for Ut did not immediately return an email Tuesday. Ut has strongly maintained that the photo is his. ___ David Bauder writes about media for the AP. Follow him at and
