The photograph "Napalm Girl," taken during the Vietnam War, shocked the world and earned The Associated Press (AP) photographer Nick Ut one of the highest honors in journalism, the Pulitzer Prize, as well as being selected for the World Press Photo of the Year in 1973. However, this half-century-old glory is now shrouded in doubt.
The World Press Photo organization based in Amsterdam dropped a bombshell on the 16th, announcing that due to "serious doubts" about the true authorship of the iconic work known as "The Terror of War," more commonly referred to as "Napalm Girl" or "Kim Phuc Photo" (Kim Phuc is the girl in the photo), they have decided to "suspend" Nick Ut's qualification for the award.
This controversy arose from a documentary titled "The Stringer," which questioned whether Nick Ut was the actual author of the photo. Although The AP conducted two investigations and stated that they could not find "definitive evidence" to overturn Nick Ut's copyright and emphasized that there was no evidence proving it was taken by someone else, the World Press Photo investigation found that two other photographers present at the scene "may have been in more advantageous shooting positions." The organization admitted that although there is insufficient evidence to change the award to another person, the original determination has become untenable due to these doubts. However, the prize money from that year will not be reclaimed.
Nick Ut's lawyer rebutted, arguing that the World Press Photo initially intended to punish his client. Meanwhile, The AP reiterated that it owns the rights to the photo and understands that the World Press Photo has its own independent judgment.
As for the more prestigious Pulitzer Prize, it currently appears unaffected. Pulitzer Prize Committee manager Miller stated that since The AP's investigation results showed insufficient evidence, the committee does not plan to take further action at this time.
The girl in the photo, Kim Phuc, received timely assistance from Nick Ut after the photo was taken and was sent to the hospital, eventually surviving. She later moved to Canada and founded the International Kim Phuc Foundation, dedicated to helping children affected by war. This photo, which recorded her childhood trauma and indirectly changed her life, has become a half-century-old mystery regarding who took it, undoubtedly continuing to provoke deep thought and debate in discussions of photographic history and journalistic ethics.
Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Nick Ut (center) and the subject of the classic photo "Napalm Girl," Kim Phuc (right), jointly displayed this moving award-winning work at the Vatican on May 11, 2022. (AP file photo)
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7505931757884965428/
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