The world-famous AP photo of Kim Phuc — “The Terror of War,” known popularly as “Napalm Girl” — was taken on June 8, 1972, and credited to “Nick” Huynh Cong Ut, a young Vietnamese AP staffer working in the Saigon bureau. The photo shows a terrified group of children, including 9-year-old Kim Phuc who had ripped off her burning clothes, while fleeing a “friendly fire” napalm attack by a South Vietnamese aircraft.

Aware that a film challenging this historical record was in production, the AP conducted a thorough review of all the related visual assets and interviews in its archives, interviewed living eyewitnesses, and accessed or reviewed any available third-party material created on the road to Trang Bang that day. That led to an initial report in January 2025. After seeing the film, AP further examined the specific allegations it included. The culmination is a detailed report and visual analysis.

Following a nearly year-long investigation, the AP has concluded that there is not the definitive evidence required by AP’s standards to change the credit of the 53-year-old photograph.