Latest news with #Ut
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
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
World Press Photo suspends credit for ‘Napalm Girl' image
[Source] World Press Photo has suspended the credit of Associated Press photographer Nick Ut for the iconic Vietnam War photograph commonly known as 'Napalm Girl,' citing unresolved questions about its authorship. The decision follows renewed scrutiny raised by a recent documentary that challenges Ut's long-standing attribution. The 1972 image, officially titled 'The Terror of War,' shows 9-year-old Phan Thi Kim Phuc running naked on a road after a napalm bombing. It won the Pulitzer Prize and World Press Photo of the Year in 1973 and became one of the most searing symbols of the Vietnam War. Authorship in doubt The controversy stems from 'The Stringer,' a 2025 documentary directed by Bao Nguyen. The film presents testimonies and visual analysis suggesting that freelance photographers Nguyen Thanh Nghe or Huynh Cong Phuc may have captured the image, not Ut. Nghe claims he sold the photo to the AP for $20 but never received formal credit. Trending on NextShark: In response, World Press Photo launched an internal investigation and reviewed archival materials, camera angles and witness statements. The organization concluded that the doubts were substantial enough to suspend Ut's credit, though it has not reassigned authorship due to lack of definitive evidence. AP stands by Ut Ut has denied the claims, saying he remembers taking the photo and helping Phan Thi Kim Phuc get medical care. His attorney, James Hornstein, criticized World Press Photo's decision, telling The Art Newspaper that Ut 'cannot fathom why the World Press Photo Foundation would rescind his rightful award 52 years after making it.' In a statement to the Associated Press, Hornstein added, 'It seems they had already made up their mind to punish Nick Ut from the start.' Trending on NextShark: The AP has conducted two reviews of its own, reaffirming Ut's credit. In a statement, the AP said it found no compelling evidence to override decades of attribution, but acknowledged that the passage of time limits further verification. Phan Thi Kim Phuc has also spoken in support of Ut. 'He took the picture, and he saved my life,' she told The Guardian. 'Without him, I would have died.' Historical stakes Trending on NextShark: While the image's historical significance remains uncontested, the suspension reflects ongoing debates about ownership, credit and accuracy in journalism. World Press Photo said it will maintain the suspended status until new evidence clearly confirms or refutes Ut's authorship. This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter — a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices. Trending on NextShark: Subscribe free to join the movement. If you love what we're building, consider becoming a paid member — your support helps us grow our team, investigate impactful stories, and uplift our community. Subscribe here now! Trending on NextShark: Download the NextShark App: Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today!
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.'
NDTV
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
World Press Photo Pauses Credit For Napalm Girl, Historic Vietnam War Image
One of the most haunting images of the Vietnam War may not have been taken by the photographer it has long been credited to. World Press Photo has suspended its long-held credit to Associated Press (AP) photographer Nick Ut for the famous 'Napalm Girl' photograph, officially titled 'The Terror of War'. The picture of nine-year-old Phan Thi Kim Phuc running naked and severely burned after a napalm attack won Mr Ut a Pulitzer Prize in 1973. Now the organisation, which named the picture "Photo of the Year" in 1973, announced on Friday that it was pausing attribution to Mr Ut following a detailed review. A report by World Press Photo said, "Visual and technical evidence leans toward" a new theory that Vietnamese freelance photographer Nguyen Thanh Nghe may have taken the photo instead. During the Vietnam War, napalm, a highly flammable gel, was widely used by US and South Vietnamese forces to destroy enemy hideouts, often causing horrific burns and civilian casualties. One such attack in 1972 led to the iconic 'Napalm Girl' photo, capturing the war's brutal impact. The photo was published worldwide the day after it was taken. Over the years, Mr Ut stayed in touch with Ms Kim Phuc (the 9-year-old in the photo), who survived her burns and was granted asylum in Canada in 1992. In a 2022 interview with CNN, Mr Ut recalled the moment he took the photo, saying, "I saw Kim running and she [screamed] in Vietnamese, 'Too hot! Too hot!'" He added that after snapping the picture, he put down his camera, helped her and other injured children into his van, and drove them to a hospital. The renewed controversy follows the release of 'The Stringer', a documentary that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2025. The film suggests it was Mr Nghe, not Mr Ut, who captured the moment on June 8, 1972, near the village of Trang Bang. According to the film, Mr Nghe was one of several photographers present at a checkpoint when South Vietnamese planes mistakenly dropped napalm on a group of civilians, including Kim Phuc. The film claims Mr Nghe sold the photo to the AP, and that editors later credited it to Mr Ut, the agency's Saigon-based staff photographer. In its announcement, World Press Photo cited the documentary and a new visual analysis in its decision to pause the attribution. The foundation said "the level of doubt is too significant to maintain the existing attribution," though it said there is still no conclusive proof to assign the credit elsewhere. "This suspension will remain in place unless further evidence can clearly confirm or refute the original authorship," said Joumana El Zein Khoury, executive director of World Press Photo. Nick Ut has firmly denied the claims. His lawyer, Jim Hornstein, called the decision "deplorable and unprofessional," and said Mr Nghe's claim is "unsupported by a scintilla of corroborating evidence or eyewitness." Earlier this month, the AP released a 96-page report based on interviews, technical analysis, 3D modelling, and old photo negatives. The report found "no definitive evidence" to change the credit for the photo. It said that because of missing information and the passage of time, it's "impossible to fully prove" that Mr Ut took the picture, but giving credit to Mr Nghe would need "several leaps of faith." World Press Photo said there are "strong reasons" to question the current credit. Their review, with help from the research group Index, raised doubts about which camera was used, where Mr Ut was at the time, and if he could have taken the photo at all. Index said Mr Ut would have had to "take the photo, run 60 meters (197 feet), and come back calmly" very quickly, which they called "highly unlikely." The AP disagreed, saying the distance was probably closer to 33 meters. There is also a chance that a third photographer, military shooter Huynh Cong Phuc, who sometimes sold photos, took the picture. The AP said all three photographers could have been in position to take it. The Pulitzer Prize Board said it "does not anticipate future action" on Mr Ut's award. "The Pulitzer Prizes depend on submitting news organisations to determine the authorship of their entries," the board said, citing the AP's findings.
