‘Napalm Girl' was in the photo. But who was behind the camera?
But who took the photo, widely known as Napalm Girl? That is the question dividing the photojournalism community 53 years after it was taken.
The image, from a road in the village of Trang Bang, has been credited to Nick Ut, a photographer who worked for The Associated Press. In the decades since, Ut has repeatedly talked publicly, in interviews and elsewhere, about his role in capturing the photo and his later friendship with its subject, Kim Phuc Phan Thi.
Yet, a documentary that premiered this year, The Stringer, set off investigations into the creator of the image. The film argues that a freelance photographer took the image and that an AP photo editor misattributed it to Ut.
On Friday, the World Press Photo Foundation, a prominent international non-profit, weighed in. It said that a months-long investigation had found that two other photojournalists 'may have been better positioned to take the photograph than Nick Ut', and it was suspending his credit for the image. That means the credit and caption in its online archives will be updated to include the doubts raised by its investigation.
Ut's lawyer, James Hornstein, has repeatedly disputed the film's claims and called them 'defamatory'. He said in a statement that the World Press Photo decision was 'deplorable and unprofessional' and 'reveals how low the organisation has fallen'. Hornstein declined to make Ut available for an interview.
Loading
The AP, after spending nearly a year investigating, said this month that it would continue to credit the photo to Ut. A lengthy report from the investigation said he was in position to take the photo and cites evidence to support that position, but concluded that no proof had been found. It also says other photographers were in position to take the photo, but there's no proof they did, either.
'As our report explains in great detail, there's simply not enough hard evidence or fact to remove the credit from Nick Ut, and it's impossible for anyone to know with certainty how exactly things played out on the road in the space of a few minutes over half a century ago,' said Derl McCrudden, the AP's vice president and head of global news production.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
9 News
13 hours ago
- 9 News
Driver who ploughed into crowd at LA club, injuring 30, shot, attacked by crowd
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here A vehicle rammed into a crowd of people waiting to enter a nightclub along a busy boulevard in Los Angeles early on Saturday, injuring 30 people and leading bystanders to attack the driver, authorities said. The driver was later found to have been shot, according to Los Angeles police, who were searching for a suspected gunman who fled the scene. It was not immediately clear if the driver had been shot before or after the crash or why he drove into the crowd, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesman said. A vehicle sits on the sidewalk after the incident unfolded. (AP) Twenty-three victims were transported to local hospitals and trauma centres, according to police. At least three were in critical condition after being injured along Santa Monica Boulevard in East Hollywood, the Los Angeles City Fire Department said in a statement. Fire Capt. Adam VanGerpen said that a line of people – the majority female – were waiting to enter a nightclub when they were struck by a Nissan Versa that also hit a taco truck and valet stand. 'They were all standing in line going into a nightclub. There was a taco cart out there, so they were... getting some food, waiting to go in. And there's also a valet line there,' said VanGerpen, a public information officer. 'The valet podium was taken out, the taco truck was taken out, and then a large number of people were impacted by the vehicle.' People inside the club came out to help in the minutes before emergency crews arrived, he said, to help the victims. The driver, whose gunshot wound was found by paramedics, was taken to a local hospital. Police did not identify him or disclose his condition. The shooter was described as a man in a blue jersey with a silver revolver. Police have roped off the area as investigations continue. (AP) 'This is under police investigation,' VanGerpen said. 'This will be a large investigation with the LAPD.' The club, Vermont Hollywood, was hosting a reggae/hip hop event from 10pm. to 2am, according to its online calendar. A phone message left with the business was not immediately returned. A fight had broken out outside of the club prior to the incident, according to Maria Medrano, who was working a food cart outside. Shortly after, Medrano said, the car hit a group of people standing outside. She said she and her husband, who were both selling hot dogs outside, narrowly escaped after the car struck their stand, crushing it. 'The car stopped once it hit the hot dog stand, it got stuck there,' Medrano told The Associated Press from the hospital. 'If not, I wouldn't be here to tell (the story).' Medrano said she heard what appeared to be gunshots after the crash. 'Everyone started running,' she said. World USA emergencies Los Angeles CONTACT US Auto news: Why Australians are still driving around without insurance.
Perth Now
17 hours ago
- Perth Now
Three Ukraine drones downed en route to Moscow: Russia
Russian air defence systems shot down three drones en route to Moscow, city mayor Sergei Sobyanin says on his Telegram account. Two Moscow airports - Vnukovo and Domodedovo - suspended arrivals and departures for safety reasons but later resumed operations, Russian aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia said. The Russian Defence Ministry said its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 27 Ukrainian drones in total from 3pm to 7pm Moscow time, including four over Moscow region, 15 over Bryansk region, six over Kaluga region and two over Tula region. Earlier on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russian forces had launched attacks involving more than 300 drones and about 30 missile and cruise missiles on Ukrainian cities overnight. Zelenskiy posted photos on Telegram showing damage caused to a residential block in Odessa on the Black Sea, where one person was killed and six others injured, according to local officials. Two people were killed in a Russian missile strike in the Synelnykove district, the military governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region Serhiy Lysak said. A school and a cultural institution were destroyed; private buildings were also damaged and cars were burned out, he said. The Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions were also hit, according to Zelenskiy. Important infrastructure was destroyed in Sumy, where thousands of households were now without electricity. "There are still drones in the sky," Zelenskiy said. He added that Ukraine's air defences were destroying them and that emergency services were in operation. Pavlohrad in Dnipropetrovsk had been badly hit, with a residential block and important infrastructure damaged, Zelenskiy said. Regional military governor Serhiy Lysak spoke of a "hellish night" and said it was the worst attack to date on the city, which lies due east of Dnipro. "One explosion after another. Russian terrorists attacked with missiles and drones," he posted on Telegram. Ukrainian rail head Oleksandr Pertsovskyi posted on Facebook that there were increasing Russian attacks on civilian trains not transporting military goods. Coal trains were being hit in particular, he said. Ukraine has been defending itself against a full-scale Russian invasion for more than three years. with AP and DPA
West Australian
17 hours ago
- West Australian
Three Ukraine drones downed en route to Moscow: Russia
Russian air defence systems shot down three drones en route to Moscow, city mayor Sergei Sobyanin says on his Telegram account. Two Moscow airports - Vnukovo and Domodedovo - suspended arrivals and departures for safety reasons but later resumed operations, Russian aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia said. The Russian Defence Ministry said its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 27 Ukrainian drones in total from 3pm to 7pm Moscow time, including four over Moscow region, 15 over Bryansk region, six over Kaluga region and two over Tula region. Earlier on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russian forces had launched attacks involving more than 300 drones and about 30 missile and cruise missiles on Ukrainian cities overnight. Zelenskiy posted photos on Telegram showing damage caused to a residential block in Odessa on the Black Sea, where one person was killed and six others injured, according to local officials. Two people were killed in a Russian missile strike in the Synelnykove district, the military governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region Serhiy Lysak said. A school and a cultural institution were destroyed; private buildings were also damaged and cars were burned out, he said. The Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions were also hit, according to Zelenskiy. Important infrastructure was destroyed in Sumy, where thousands of households were now without electricity. "There are still drones in the sky," Zelenskiy said. He added that Ukraine's air defences were destroying them and that emergency services were in operation. Pavlohrad in Dnipropetrovsk had been badly hit, with a residential block and important infrastructure damaged, Zelenskiy said. Regional military governor Serhiy Lysak spoke of a "hellish night" and said it was the worst attack to date on the city, which lies due east of Dnipro. "One explosion after another. Russian terrorists attacked with missiles and drones," he posted on Telegram. Ukrainian rail head Oleksandr Pertsovskyi posted on Facebook that there were increasing Russian attacks on civilian trains not transporting military goods. Coal trains were being hit in particular, he said. Ukraine has been defending itself against a full-scale Russian invasion for more than three years. with AP and DPA
