World Press Photo Suspends Authorship Attribution of Iconic "Napalm Girl" Image Following Documentary Challenge

 Amsterdam, Netherlands - The World Press Photo group has taken the unprecedented step of suspending the attribution of authorship for one of the most globally recognized press photographs, commonly known as "Napalm Girl," following compelling new evidence presented in a recent documentary. This decision casts doubt on nearly five decades of accepted journalistic history surrounding the image, officially titled "The Terror of War."

The photograph, a stark depiction of the human cost of the Vietnam War, has since its publication in June 1972 been officially credited to Nick Ut, a Vietnamese photographer then working for the Associated Press (AP) in Saigon. Ut and the AP have consistently maintained that Ut, at the age of 21, captured the harrowing scene of nine-year-old Phan Thi Kim Phuc fleeing a napalm attack in the South Vietnamese village of Trảng Bàng. This attribution was further solidified when the image was awarded the World Press Photo of the Year prize in 1973, establishing Ut as a prominent figure in photojournalism.

However, the documentary "The Stringer," which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2025, has presented a significant challenge to this established narrative. The film posits that the photograph was, in fact, taken by Nguyen Thành Nghe, an NBC driver who also freelanced for the AP. "The Stringer" alleges that Nghe was denied credit for the photograph in favor of Ut due to his non-staff status at the AP.

This contention prompted a period of "deep reflection" within World Press Photo, leading to an internal investigation, the findings of which were released on Friday, May 16, 2025. The analysis, conducted between January and May 2025, concluded that "based on analysis of location, distance, and the camera used on that day," it was plausible that "photographers Nguyễn Thành Nghệ or Huỳnh Công Phúc may have been better positioned to take the photograph than Nick Út."

Crucially, the suspension of authorship attribution does not affect the 1973 Photo of the Year award itself. "The photograph itself remains undisputed," the group affirmed, "and the World Press Photo award for this significant photo of a major moment in 20th century history remains a fact."

Joumana El Zein Khoury, the executive director of World Press Photo, stated in a press release, "Based on these findings and according to our values of accuracy, trustworthiness, and diversity, we draw conclusions with regards to attribution. 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."

Earlier in May, the Associated Press released the findings of its own internal investigation, a comprehensive 96-page report – its second on the matter in four months – which concluded that it found "no definitive evidence" to warrant a change in the photo's authorship. The AP deemed it "possible" that Ut took the photograph and found no conclusive evidence supporting Nghe's claim. The agency cited the passage of time, the lack of crucial evidence, technological limitations, and the deaths of key individuals involved as factors preventing a definitive resolution.

Derl McCrudden, an AP vice-president of global news production, commented, "We left nothing uncovered that we’re aware of, and we’ve done it with a great deal of respect to everybody involved. 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 Stringer," directed by Bao Nguyen, presented testimony from several witnesses supporting Nghe's account that he sold the photograph to the Saigon bureau photo chief, Horst Faas, for a nominal sum and a print. These witnesses included Nghe's brother, who claimed to have delivered the film to the AP; Nghe's daughter, Jannie; Carl Robinson, a former longtime AP photo editor in Saigon who initially contacted the filmmakers; and several of Robinson's former colleagues. Forensic experts from the French NGO Index, consulted by the filmmakers, also concluded it was "highly unlikely" that Ut took the photograph based on an analysis of other images attributed to him on that day.

The AP's own forensic investigation involved further interviews, examination of cameras and surviving negatives, and the creation of a 3D model of the scene. While the resulting report identified "inconsistencies on both sides," it concluded that accepting Nghe's version of events would require "several leaps of faith," including the unlikely scenario that his sole sale of a photograph to a Western news agency would become one of the 20th century's most iconic images.

Nghe himself made a surprise appearance at "The Stringer's" Sundance premiere, reiterating his claim in the film. Ut, meanwhile, continues to assert his authorship, stating to the AP that the dispute "has been very difficult for me and has caused great pain."

For World Press Photo, however, the official author is now listed as: unknown. "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." This decision underscores the complexities and enduring questions surrounding the creation of this pivotal image in photographic history.