SOU faculty members co-edit book on conflict in creative industries

(Ashland, Ore.) — Erica Knotts and Chris Lucas – both faculty members in Southern Oregon University’s Communication, Media & Cinema Department – are co-editors of a new book that explores the presence of conflict in creative industries including film, television, the fine arts, radio and podcasting. The collection of essays looks at how conflict can be considered a necessary, productive and manageable element in the creative process.

The book, “Creativity and Conflict in the Cultural Industries,” was published by Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group – a global academic publishing company that specializes in books and journals for higher education and research. It is available in paperback, hardback or as an e-book, and can be purchased through most major retailers or directly from the Routledge website.

“For me, creativity and conflict have always been intertwined, and it was insightful to see how that plays out in our cultural industry spaces like film and radio,” Knotts said. “I hope this book serves as a starting point for dialogue among those currently working or hoping to work in these creative spaces, about how tension and conflict are discussed and approached, while still creating space to prioritize the human beings who create this work and seeking true resolution.”

Lucas said the book was an opportunity to engage with Knotts and others around the world on the role of conflict in the creative experience.

“Assembling ‘Creativity and Conflict in the Cultural Industries’ was a rewarding and educational experience,” Lucas said. “I was able to work on a cross-disciplinary project with Erica, my colleague in the Communication program at SOU, and hear from a global group of scholars with valuable insights on diagnosing and managing conflict in many professional contexts.”

The publisher’s website recommends the new book as a resource for students and scholars of media, culture and communication. It features various real-world case studies and interviews, offering concrete examples of conflicts, how they were addressed, and the strategies and tactics that were developed in the process.

Lucas is an associate professor in SOU’s Department of Communication, Media, & Cinema, and coordinator of the university’s Digital Cinema program. He teaches media studies, documentary and film production, and is the producer of the feature documentaries “Above All Else” (2014) and “Raising Aniya” (2025). He is a co-founder of flowjournal.org, a popular site for scholarly media criticism.

Knotts is a senior instructor of Communication at SOU, and coordinator for the Conflict Management Certificate program. She is a co-editor of “Women Educators’ Experiences During COVID-19” (2023), the past chair of the National Communication Association’s Peace and Conflict Communication Division and a certified Collaboration Discussion coach through the Interactivity Foundation.

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