Image authorship of the iconic 1973 Vietnamese girl fleeing photo suspension announced by World Press Photo.
Gut-Wrenching Snap That Rattled a Nation
One glance at the infamous photograph and you can't help but gasp. This haunting image, captured during the heart of the Vietnam War, captures a girl at the center of the chaos. She's running naked down a road, her terrified screams echoing off the deep scars of war. The agony in her eyes mirrors the terror in the boy sprinting ahead of her. The specter of war clings to them, indifference etched on the faces of several soldiers who watch the incident unfold. They seem unfazed, as if the brutal realities of war only n nickel their resolve.
World-Renowned Shot Wins Prestigious Awards
The captivating image has become synonymous with humanity's collective memory. It took home the World Press Photo and Pulitzer prizes, marking its standing as an iconic symbol of the horrific war that ravaged the region for two decades, leaving between two and three million casualties in its wake. The loss wasn't purely numerical; it encompassed the lives of Vietnamese, Americans, South Koreans, Cambodians, Australians, and Thais alike.
Fast forward to the present day, as accusations arise questioning the legitimacy of the image's creator. World Press Photo has initiated an investigation, starting a heated controversy over the authorship of the iconic snapshot titled The Terror of War.
The controversy centers on claims made by a recent documentary named The Stringer, released by The VII Foundation, presenting evidence that Nick Ut, the Associated Press (AP) photographer responsible for the award-winning image, may have been miscredited. The documentary alleges that the then AP photo editor in Saigon, Carl Robinson, fabricated the caption on the orders of Horst Faas, AP's director at the time[1][2].
Index, a Paris-based research group, backs the documentary's assertions,, questioning the long-held assumption that Nick Ut was the sole creator of the renowned photograph.
Unraveling the Intricate Web of War Photography
World Press Photo's investigation into the authorship dispute, carried out from January to May 2025, hints that, instead of Nick Ut, Nguyen Thanh Nghe, a Vietnamese stringer for AP at the time, could have been in a better position to capture the image[3]. As a result, World Press Photo has temporarily suspended the attribution of the image to Nick Ut, acknowledging the lack of conclusive evidence confirming his role as the sole creator[1].
However, the AP still attributes the photograph to Nick Ut. World Press Photo admits that the situation remains uncertain and the authorship may never be definitively proven unless new evidence surfaces.
The Girl in the Heartbreaking Photograph
The girl in the photograph, Kim Phuc, miraculously survived the inhumane ordeal, although she spent fourteen months in the hospital recovering. Today, she is an advocate for peace, serving as UNESCO's ambassador and an activist against war[4]. Despite the continual controversy surrounding the photograph, Kim Phuc remains steadfast in her mission to heal the emotional and physical wounds of war.
Nick Ut, who dismissed the documentary prior to its release, began his career as a photographer for the AP at just fifteen years old after losing his older brother, also an AP photojournalist, during the Vietnam War. He suffered injuries during the Fall of Saigon in 1975 and relocated to Tokyo and later Los Angeles, where he continued working for AP until his retirement in 2017[4]. Nick Ut, who holds both US and Vietnamese citizenship, was awarded the US National Medal of Arts in 2021 for his groundbreaking coverage of the Vietnam War[4].
Despite the centuries that have passed since this devastating war, the wrenching photograph continues to raise important questions about war journalism, the ethical responsibilities of media organizations, and the limitations of assigning authorship to complex and chaotic events.
The Stringer, the name of the documentary in question, literally translates to "freelance contributor or journalist who sends reports or photos to a media outlet, but is not directly employed by that outlet."*
Additional Insight:Nick Út was born Huỳnh Công Út in 1951 in Vietnam and immigrated to the United States in 2005. The photograph "The Terror of War" brought international attention to his work and was the driving force behind his successful career as a photojournalist[6][7]. The documentary, The Stringer, highlights the prevalent issue of photographers like Nguyễn Thành Nghệ, who contributed significantly to iconic photographs taken during wars yet were not officially credited[5]. The ongoing debate over the authorship of "The Terror of War" raises questions about the role of news organizations in acknowledging and compensating freelance journalists, particularly in cases of conflict and war.
- The controversy surrounding the iconic photograph, 'The Terror of War,' has led to an investigation by World Press Photo, questioning the authorship initially attributed to Nick Ut.
- In the midst of conflict and chaos, a Vietnamese stringer for Associated Press named Nguyen Thanh Nghe could have been the one who captured the award-winning image, 'The Terror of War,' rather than Nick Ut, according to World Press Photo's investigation.
- The specter of war and its hardships, as demonstrated in 'The Terror of War,' serves as a potent reminder of the need for accountability and acknowledgment in war journalism, particularly in cases where freelance journalists like Nguyen Thanh Nghệ have significantly contributed to iconic images.
