Field Notes is a publication from Adriana Lacy Consulting on audience trust, AI, and the institutions navigating both.
The name comes from the notebooks journalists, researchers, and anthropologists have always carried into the field — the small, unglamorous records of what they observed before they had time to make sense of it. That spirit shapes this publication. Our work is grounded in research and reporting, but it's also built on noticing: what's shifting in how audiences trust institutions, how AI is reshaping editorial work, where the conventional wisdom about communications is quietly becoming wrong.
We write about those shifts for the organizations that have to act on them. The pieces here range from longer essays to shorter observations, with a focus on arguments grounded in research rather than reactive commentary.
We write about how credible organizations build and lose trust, how artificial intelligence is reshaping communications and editorial work, and what strategic research looks like when it actually informs decisions.
Adriana Lacy Consulting is a strategic research and advisory firm working with foundations, newsrooms, and institutions on audience strategy, AI in communications, and the frameworks that guide credible editorial work. Our team brings experience from leading newsrooms, research institutions, and advisory engagements across the media and communications landscape.
Field Notes is written primarily by Adriana Lacy, CEO of Adriana Lacy Consulting, with occasional contributions from our strategists and external contributors.
New pieces publish regularly. Subscribers receive new Field Notes essays in their inbox, along with a recurring newsletter issue covering what we're reading and thinking about in the wider field.
For editorial inquiries or pitches, email info@adrianalacyconsulting.com.