Latest news with #NickUt
LeMonde
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- LeMonde
World Press Photo Executive Director Joumana El Zein Khoury: 'The legend surrounding the Napalm Girl photo is being challenged'
In January, the film The Stringer, shown at the Sundance Festival in the United States, sparked controversy by claiming that one of the world's most famous photographs, The Terror of War – better known as Napalm Girl – had been wrongly credited to Nick Ut of the Associated Press (AP) when it was actually taken by another Vietnamese photographer, Nguyen Thanh Nghe. Since then, AP has published its own investigation and decided to maintain credit to Ut. However, World Press Photo, which runs a prestigious annual photojournalism competition and awarded the image in 1973, took a different path: It no longer attributes the image to Ut, though it has not reassigned credit to another photographer. The organization's executive director, Joumana El Zein Khoury, explained the reasoning behind the decision. Why did World Press Photo feel the need to take a position on the 'Napalm Girl' photograph? Our organization has existed for 70 years, and we take questions of transparency and accuracy very seriously. When doubts arise about a prize-winning photo, we have a process in place. So, when the documentary The Stringer was shown in January at the Sundance Festival, we conducted our own investigation. We waited for the AP to release its own findings before going public. And we found that there were valid questions surrounding this photo. We decided to keep the 1973 prize for the photograph, but have suspended the attribution until further evidence emerges.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
World Press Photo suspends Nick Ut's credit for iconic 'Napalm Girl' Vietnam War image
More than 50 years after Nick Ut's Pulitzer Prize-winning image of a nine-year-old Phan Thi Kim Phuc fleeing a napalm attack in the South Vietnamese village of Trảng Bàng, a prestigious photography organisation has cast fresh doubt over who actually took it. World Press Photo, which awarded the image its 1973 Photo of the Year, recently announced that it has suspended its attribution to Ut, following the release of a new documentary, The Stringer, that challenges the long-accepted account of the photo's origins. The organisation said its independent investigation raised questions regarding Ut's role and suggested that two Vietnamese photographers, Nguyen Thanh Nghe - highlighted in The Stringer - and Huynh Cong Phuc, may have been better positioned to take the image. Related Culture Re-View: A photograph changes the course of the Vietnam War From skater girls to climate illusions: Meet the winners of the 2025 Sony World Photography Awards The Stringer, which premiered at Sundance in January earlier this year, claims Nghe sold the photo to AP's Saigon bureau chief for $20 and a print, and forensic experts from the French NGO Index also weighed in, concluding it's 'highly unlikely' that Nick Ut took the photo based on comparisons with other images credited to him that day. '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.' Ut will not be asked to return his cash prize from the World Press Photo 1973 Photo of the Year. The Associated Press, where Ut worked at the time, have said that after conducting two internal investigations it couldn't find any definitive proof to strip Ut's credit and no compelling evidence anyone else took the photo. '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.'
Euronews
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Who really took the Napalm Girl photo? Iconic image credit 'suspended'
More than 50 years after Nick Ut's Pulitzer Prize-winning image of a nine-year-old Phan Thi Kim Phuc fleeing a napalm attack in the South Vietnamese village of Trảng Bàng, a prestigious photography organisation has cast fresh doubt over who actually took it. World Press Photo, which awarded the image its 1973 Photo of the Year, recently announced that it has suspended its attribution to Ut, following the release of a new documentary, The Stringer, that challenges the long-accepted account of the photo's origins. The organisation said its independent investigation raised questions regarding Ut's role and suggested that two Vietnamese photographers, Nguyen Thanh Nghe - highlighted in The Stringer - and Huynh Cong Phuc, may have been better positioned to take the image. The Stringer, which premiered at Sundance in January earlier this year, claims Nghe sold the photo to AP's Saigon bureau chief for $20 and a print, and forensic experts from the French NGO Index also weighed in, concluding it's 'highly unlikely' that Nick Ut took the photo based on comparisons with other images credited to him that day. '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.' Ut will not be asked to return his cash prize from the World Press Photo 1973 Photo of the Year. The Associated Press, where Ut worked at the time, have said that after conducting two internal investigations it couldn't find any definitive proof to strip Ut's credit and no compelling evidence anyone else took the photo. '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.'
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First Post
20-05-2025
- First Post
Who really took the iconic 'Napalm Girl' photo? The controversy surrounding Vietnam War image
The 1972 'Napalm Girl' photo has long been credited to AP's Nick Ut, but a 2025 documentary and a World Press Photo review suggest another Vietnamese photographer may have taken the image. World Press Photo has suspended authorship attribution. The AP's latest investigation maintains Ut's credit but admits the case remains unresolved read more Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Nick Ut, centre, flanked by Kim Phuc, left, holds the "Napalm Girl", his Pulitzer Prize winning photo as they wait to meet with Pope Francis during the weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, May 11, 2022. File Image/AP One of the most haunting images ever captured in the history of photojournalism — a naked, terrified child fleeing a napalm bombing during the Vietnam War — has found itself at the centre of a growing controversy over who actually took it. For over five decades, this photograph, officially titled The Terror of War but more commonly known as the Napalm Girl, has been credited to Nick Ut, a then 21-year-old Vietnamese photojournalist working for the Associated Press (AP). STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Ut's photograph, taken on June 8, 1972, just outside the village of Trảng Bàng, depicted nine-year-old Phan Thi Kim Phuc running along a road with her body burned and clothes torn off after a South Vietnamese airstrike dropped napalm near where she and her family had taken refuge. The image quickly became one of the defining visuals of the Vietnam War, published on the front pages of over 20 major US newspapers and later awarded the Pulitzer Prize and the 1973 World Press Photo of the Year. South Vietnamese forces follow after terrified children, including 9-year-old Kim Phuc, centre, as they run down Route 1 near Trang Bang after an aerial napalm attack on suspected Viet Cong hiding places, June 8, 1972. File Image/AP However, more than 50 years later, a recent documentary and subsequent investigations have cast doubt on the long-standing narrative surrounding the photograph's origin. The controversy, explained In January 2025, a film titled The Stringer, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, brought renewed scrutiny to the photograph's authorship. Directed by Bao Nguyen, the documentary introduces an alternate account, suggesting that the image may have been taken by a different Vietnamese photographer, Nguyen Thành Nghe. According to the film, Nghe, who worked as a driver for NBC but also sold photographs as a freelancer, might have been the true author of the iconic image. Several witnesses in the documentary — including Nghe's daughter Jannie, his brother (who says he delivered the film to the AP), former AP photo editor Carl Robinson, and other photojournalists who worked in Saigon — support the claim that Nghe sold the photograph to Horst Faas, AP's Saigon bureau photo chief, for $20 and a print. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The documentary also includes an analysis conducted by the French NGO Index, whose forensic experts examined photographs attributed to Ut and concluded it was 'highly unlikely' he was the person who took the picture in question. Nghe himself makes an appearance in the documentary to confirm his version of events. Reaction from World Press Photo Following the release of the documentary and growing media interest, the World Press Photo Foundation launched its own internal investigation between January and May 2025. On May 16, the organisation announced that it had decided to suspend the attribution of authorship for the 1972 award-winning photo. The review examined elements such as the positioning of photographers on the scene, distance from the subjects, and camera models used that day. It concluded that either Nguyen Thành Nghe or another Vietnamese photographer, Huỳnh Công Phúc, might have been in a better location to capture the image than Ut. While suspending the author attribution, World Press Photo made clear that it was not retracting the award. 'The photograph itself remains undisputed,' said the organisation in a statement. 'And the World Press Photo award for this significant photo of a major moment in 20th-century history remains a fact.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The foundation's executive director, Joumana El Zein Khoury, stated that the decision was grounded in its core principles. 'Based on these findings and according to our values of accuracy, trustworthiness and diversity, we draw conclusions with regards to attribution,' she said. 'It is important to state that the picture itself is undisputed and it is without question that this photograph represents a real moment in history that continues to reverberate in Vietnam, the United States, and globally.' AP maintains Ut as credited photographer In response to the growing challenge to the photograph's authorship, the Associated Press undertook a renewed internal investigation — its second in less than four months. On May 13, the AP published a 96-page report detailing the findings of its latest inquiry. The AP stated that while it found it 'possible' Ut took the photograph, there was no conclusive evidence to firmly confirm or deny that claim. It also found no solid proof that Nguyen Thành Nghe had taken the image instead. '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, AP's vice-president of global news production. Also Read | History Today: How the My Lai massacre unfolded during the Vietnam War STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD '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 investigation included interviews with individuals present on June 8, 1972, forensic analysis of the cameras, surviving negatives from that day, and even the creation of a 3D model of the scene. However, the report acknowledged inconsistencies in the narratives on both sides. It pointed out that the photo had likely been taken using a Pentax camera, contradicting Ut's long-standing claim that he used a Leica. It also noted that Nguyen himself had revised earlier accounts, stating he was not working for NBC on that particular day. Out of the 10 people the AP managed to interview who were present at the scene, only Nguyen contested Ut's claim to authorship. Moreover, the AP's report concluded that accepting Nguyen's story required 'several leaps of faith,' including believing that the only time he ever sold a photograph to a Western media outlet happened to coincide with capturing one of the most globally recognised images of the century. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The story behind the photograph The day the photo was taken, South Vietnamese forces had been attempting to retake Trảng Bàng from communist troops. After several days of fighting, the South Vietnamese air force deployed Skyraider planes to bomb what they believed were enemy positions. Unbeknownst to them, the civilians — including Kim Phuc and her family — were still sheltering in a nearby Buddhist temple. When the planes dropped napalm, panic broke out. Soldiers and civilians fled, including Kim Phuc, who tore off her burning clothes and ran onto Route 1. Ut, along with other journalists, was already stationed near the village, anticipating military action. After taking several photographs, including the now-famous shot, Ut assisted the injured children. He placed them in his van and drove nearly 30 minutes to a hospital. There, doctors initially refused to admit them due to a lack of space. Ut intervened by presenting his press credentials and warning staff that the image would be seen across the world. 'If one of them dies you'll be in trouble,' he told the hospital, according to a 2015 Vanity Fair interview. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He then returned to the AP office in Saigon, where he developed the film. Several of the images from that day were powerful, but one stood out immediately. '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,' Ut later said. Their prediction proved accurate. In 1973, the photograph won both the Pulitzer Prize and the World Press Photo of the Year award. The enduring legacy of the 'Napalm Girl' Though it did not single-handedly end the Vietnam War or dramatically shift public opinion — which had already soured by the early 1970s — the photo became a potent symbol of the conflict's human cost and helped galvanize anti-war sentiment globally. Phan Thi Kim Phuc, who survived the attack after spending 14 months in hospitals, later became a peace activist. Residing in Canada now, she remains in contact with Ut to this day. Her aspirations of becoming a doctor were cut short after the communist regime in Vietnam removed her from medical school, using her instead for propaganda purposes. Meanwhile, Ut retired in later years but continues to defend his place in history. 'This whole thing has been very difficult for me and has caused great pain,' he told the AP. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He also maintains that powerful war photography remains relevant even in the digital age, especially in the context of modern conflicts like the war in Ukraine . As for the image itself, World Press Photo acknowledges that the question of who took it may never be definitively answered. 'This remains contested history, and it is possible that the author of the photograph will never be fully confirmed,' the group stated. 'The suspension of the authorship attribution stands unless it is proved otherwise.' With inputs from agencies
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.
