AP news agency retains copyright of photo Napalm girl by Nick Ut

Nick Ut, Kim Phuc and Mrs. Ho Thi Bon (the little girl in white running next to Kim Phuc in the legendary photo) reunited in Trang Bang in 2022 - Photo: TRAN THE PHONG

In January, At the Sundance Film Festival, the documentary The Stringer sparked controversy when it questioned whether photographer Nick Ut was the author of this famous photo.

AP declares to stand by photographer Nick Ut

After a lengthy investigation, the Associated Press (AP) released a 97-page final report to close the case, declaring that they still stand by photographer Nick Ut.

According to The Washington Post , AP decided to keep Nick Ut's photo copyright because there was no convincing evidence to suggest that the author's information should be changed.

"AP's extensive image analysis, interviews with witnesses and examination of all photos taken on June 8, 1972, suggest that Ut likely took the photo. There is no documentation that anyone else took it," AP spokeswoman Lauren Easton wrote in a statement.

"Our investigation has raised many big questions, which are presented in the report, and we may never have the answers. Fifty years have passed, many of the people involved have died, and technology has its limits."

Photographer Nick Ut "glad the truth has been clarified"

The photo, which shows a nine-year-old girl, Kim Phuc, screaming and running naked from a napalm attack, has become one of the most iconic images of the Vietnam War.

In a statement, Nick Ut said he was “comforted” by the conclusion. “This whole thing has been very difficult for me and has caused great pain,” he wrote. “I am glad the truth has been established.”

The documentary The Stringer , directed by Bao Nguyen, asserts that the photo was actually taken by a Vietnamese freelance reporter named Nguyen Thanh Nghe, instead of the photographer Nick Ut as the world has known for the past half century.

Nguyen Thanh Nghe said he took the above photo on June 8, 1972, during a trip to Trang Bang (Tay Ninh) as a driver for a group of NBC reporters. After the trip, Mr. Nghe sold the photo to the Associated Press for a mere $20.

After The Stringer premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, the Associated Press quickly announced that the photo was taken by none other than photographer Nick Ut.

At the time, according to the Associated Press, the above conclusion was the result of a rushed investigation that lasted 6 months and was still being carried out.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/hang-tin-ap-giu-nguyen-tac-quyen-anh-em-be-napalm-cua-nick-ut-20250507113116048.htm