A group honoring The Associated Press ‘ Nick Ut with its 1973 “photo of the year” award for a photo of a girl fleeing a napalm strike in Vietnam says it has” suspended its identification” because it is unsure who basically took it.
The muddle over a topic that has divided the photographic industry since a movie earlier this year, The Stringer, questioned Ut’s authorship, is worsened by World Press Photo’s report on Friday ( May 16 ). The image of Kim Phuc, who was awoken and terrified, became a symbol of the drama of the war.
The Associated Press claimed to have found no conclusive evidence that would allow the Associated Press to remove Ut’s image credit after two studies. The AP claimed that it was probable that Ut took the photo, but as time went on, it became difficult to completely demonstrate, and it was impossible to locate any proof that anyone else did.
According to World Press Photo, its investigation revealed that Nguyen Thanh Nghe, the gentleman mentioned in The Stringer, and Huynh Cong Phuc, two different photography, “may have been better positioned” to take the photo.
According to Joumana El Zein Khoury, senior director of World Press Photo,” we conclude that the level of uncertainty is also important to retain the existing attribution.” We are unable to resign authorship at the same time as, without convincing evidence pointing clearly to another photographer.
A representative for World Press Photo said it wouldn’t attempt to retrieve Ut’s cash award, which is regarded as important in photography.
Before The Stringer was released, Ut’s attorney, James Hornstein, claimed that his customer had not contacted World Press Photo after making an original phone call. He claimed that it appears that they had already decided to punish Nick Ut right away.
Developer of The Stringer Gary Knight has won four World Press Photo awards as judges and was formerly a World Press Photo Foundation expert.
The AP stated on Friday that its standards “require proof and certainty to remove a credit, and we have found that it is impossible to establish exactly what happened that day on the road or in the ( AP ) bureau over 50 years ago.”
According to the speech,” We understand World Press Photo has taken various action based on the same information that is available, and that is their prerogative.” ” The possession of the photo by AP is unquestionable.”
In the meantime, Ut’s Pulitzer Prize, which he won for the pictures, seems secure. Administrator Marjorie Miller, a former AP top writer, pointed to the AP’s study, which showed there was insufficient evidence to withdraw funds. The Pulitzers depend on media organizations to identify authorship. She stated on Friday,” The board does not predict future behavior at this time.”