• World Press Photo has suspended the credit of Nick Ut for the iconic "Napalm Girl" photograph.
• The decision follows an investigation triggered by the documentary “The Stringer”, suggesting different potential photographers.
• World Press Photo acknowledged that authorship may never be completely verified.
• Associated Press continues to credit Nick Ut, citing its own investigation that raised unresolved questions.
• The authenticity of the photograph itself remains unquestioned as a historic moment.

The World Press Photo organization announced on a recent Friday that it has officially removed US-Vietnamese photographer Nick Ut's name as the credited creator of the photograph known as “Napalm Girl,” due to emerging doubts over its true authorship. This conclusion follows a thorough investigation that started earlier this year, fueled by the documentary “The Stringer,” which suggests that another photographer may have captured the image showing a young girl fleeing from a napalm strike in 1972, according to New York Times and South China Morning Post.

The investigation, conducted from January to May, analyzed the location, distance, and camera used during the photo's capture. It revealed that two other local photographers, Nguyen Thanh Nghe and Huynh Cong Phuc, were present at the scene and could potentially have taken the photograph, leading World Press Photo to state that the authorship may never be confirmed. "It is possible that the author of the photograph will never be fully confirmed," stated the organization in its announcement, as reported by Dawn and South China Morning Post.

Despite the controversy, the Associated Press has indicated it will continue to credit Nick Ut for the image, although they have also acknowledged that their investigation raised questions that may never be fully answered. "We have found that it is impossible to prove exactly what happened that day on the road," the AP stated, expressing uncertainty about the events over 50 years ago, as noted by both South China Morning Post and New York Times.

Nick Ut defended his work in a February Facebook post, expressing that claims against him are a “slap in the face.” The subject of the photograph, Kim Phuc, who survived her injuries, has grown to become a Canadian citizen and a prominent advocate for child war victims, underlining the enduring impact of the image on attitudes towards the Vietnam War and its profound human cost, according to Dawn and New York Times.