Broadcast journalist Laura Westbrook sits down with arts journalist, curator and longtime FCC member John Batten in the room known as the "Bunker" in the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Hong Kong to unravel the controversy behind the iconic photo known officially as "The Terror of War" and known more widely as "Napalm Girl" from the American war in Vietnam. Together, they examine new findings from the Associated Press and World Press Photo investigations, which found no conclusive evidence confirming or denying Nick Ut’s authorship of the image. The episode explores revelations from the documentary "The Stringer," raising questions about the role of gatekeepers in the editorial chain, the role of freelance photographers and the ethics of photo attribution in journalism.

John Batten looks at the long relationship between the FCC and war photographers coming from Vietnam for R&R breaks in Hong Kong, and the visual legacy hanging on the walls of the Bunker showing a range of photographs considered iconic moments captured during the war in Vietnam.

Discover the ethical and historical implications of the AP’s handling of the photograph, the importance of accurate credit in journalism, and how this controversy shapes the legacy of one of history’s most powerful war images. Laura and John reflect on truth, accuracy, and the future of journalistic integrity.

Written and produced by Jarrod Watt

Theme music composed by Allen Youngblood

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