World Press Photo Casts Doubt on Authorship of Iconic “Napalm Girl” Image
The World Press Photo organisation has cast fresh doubt on the authorship of one of the 20th century’s most defining images, “The Terror of War,” better known as “Napalm Girl.” The image, which was named “Photo of the Year” in 1973, has been attributed to retired Associated Press (AP) photographer Nick Ut for decades. However, World Press Photo has announced that it has “suspended” its longstanding attribution to Ut, citing “visual and technical” evidence that “leans toward” an emerging theory that a Vietnamese freelance photographer, Nguyen Thanh Nghe, took the photo.
The controversy surrounding the image’s authorship was sparked by a documentary, “The Stringer,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January. The film claims that Nghe, not Ut, captured the iconic photo of a naked girl fleeing a napalm attack during the Vietnam War. According to the documentary, 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.
CNN has been unable to independently assess the claims made in the documentary, as the film’s producer, the VII Foundation, did not respond to multiple requests for a copy of the documentary. However, according to CNN’s source, the World Press Photo organisation has conducted its own investigation into the image’s authorship. The organisation’s report centres 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.
The AP has previously investigated the matter and published a 96-page report, which found “no definitive evidence” to justify changing the attribution of the image to Ut. However, World Press Photo took a different stance, with executive director Joumana El Zein Khoury writing on the organisation’s website that the “level of doubt is too significant to maintain the existing attribution.” Khoury added that, lacking conclusive evidence pointing definitively to another photographer, the organisation cannot reassign authorship either.
The controversy has sparked a heated debate about the ownership and authorship of iconic images. According to CNN, Ut has repeatedly dismissed allegations that he did not take the photo, with a statement released on his behalf by his attorney, Jim Hornstein, calling 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.”
The image, which appeared in the world’s newspapers the day after it was taken, 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, Ut 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.”
In a statement emailed to CNN, the organizer of the Pulitzer Prizes said it “does not anticipate future action” regarding Ut’s award. “The Pulitzer Prizes depend on submitting news organisations to determine the authorship of their entries,” the statement read. “AP’s extensive review showed insufficient proof to withdraw credit.”
As the debate continues, one thing is clear: the truth behind one of the 20th century’s most iconic images remains shrouded in uncertainty. According to CNN, World Press Photo has called for further investigation into the image’s authorship, saying that “substantial and credible reasons” exist to doubt the existing attribution. The organisation’s report noted the possibility that another person altogether — Vietnamese military photographer Huynh Cong Phuc, who sometimes sold images to news agencies — took the photo.
The image’s legacy continues to be felt today, with Ut and Kim Phuc Phan Thi continuing to campaign for peace and justice. As the world continues to grapple with the complexities of conflict and the role of journalism in reporting it, the controversy surrounding “Napalm Girl” serves as a poignant reminder of the power of images to shape our understanding of the world.
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