Independent investigative journalist. Co-bylined the December 2017 New York Times story that publicly revealed AATIP and the Navy FLIR footage. Author of the 2010 reference work UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on the Record.
Leslie Kean is a veteran investigative journalist and author of a highly influential book documenting military and official encounters with UAP. She is widely credited with helping to legitimize the UAP subject through rigorous, data-driven journalism that eschews fringe conspiracy theories. Kean's key contribution was co-authoring the groundbreaking 2017 New York Times article that exposed the Pentagon's secret UAP program and the Navy's tracking videos. In 2023, she co-authored the initial report detailing David Grusch's explosive claims regarding non-human crash retrieval programs. Her meticulous reporting has consistently bridged the gap between military whistleblowers and mainstream public acceptance.