When reduced to its core, what is striking is the convergence across all three investigations—by World Press Photo, AP, and the filmmakers—that there remains doubt about the photo’s authorship. While the image has traditionally been credited to Nick Út, the available evidence points to a strong possibility that Nguyễn Thành Nghệ took it instead, but also raises the possibility that Huỳnh Công Phúc may have been in a better position to take the photo.
The key difference lies not in the recognition of doubt, but in how each organization has chosen to act in response.
The documentary takes a stand that Nguyễn Thành Nghệ is the author. Associated Press has concluded that since there is no definitive proof that Nick Út did not take the image, the attribution of authorship to him should stand. At World Press Photo, however, we took a different path. Guided by our judging procedures we conclude that the level of doubt is too significant to maintain the existing attribution. At the same time, lacking conclusive evidence pointing definitively to another photographer, we cannot reassign authorship either.