Doubts about the originator of the Napalm photo from 1972
More than 50 years after the iconic photo of the Vietnam War « Napalm girl » there are now doubts about who the photographer was. The organizers of the World Press Photo competition have serious doubts about the authorship. The organization in Amsterdam said that the name of the photographer is no longer mentioned until clear clarification. That’s that Result of an in -depth analysis of the historical photo.
The photo from 1972 shows a nine -year -old girl who flees naked and screaming after an attack with Napalm. It runs directly to the photographer. The photo entitled « The Terror of War » is now a symbol of war and atrocities worldwide. In 1973 it was recognized as the world press photo of the year.
So far, the then 21 -year -old Nick Ut was a photographer, he had worked for the AP news agency and then drove to the hospital in Saigon with the injured Phan Thi Kim Phuc. There she was treated for months.
20 dollars for the employee
However, doubts were first expressed in a documentary at the beginning of the year. It is therefore more likely that an AP employee then took the photo. He is said to have received $ 20. World Press Photo examined the authorship. After analyzing the location, the removal of the photographer and the used camera, two other employees, Nguyen Thành NGHE or Huynh Công Phúc, had pressed on the trigger.
Authenticity of the photo undisputed
The authenticity of the photo itself is undisputed, emphasized Joumana El Zein Khoury, director of World Press Photo: « There is no question that this photo is a real moment in history that is still reverberating in Vietnam, the United States and worldwide. » The question of who is the author of the photo may never be completely clarified.
What to do when pictures lose trust?
AP had also examined the authorship and confirmed that there were justified doubts. But there is too little evidence to withdraw the authorship UT, according to a report.
