The creative industry's best-kept secret? Burnout is part of the business model.
The media and creative industries thrive on passion, but that passion often comes at a cost. Behind the glamour of journalism, filmmaking, games, music, advertising, and online content creation lies a growing health crisis. Mark Deuze investigates the systemic issues that make creative work both exhilarating and unsustainable. This book is not just about what's broken; it's about what can be done - a practical resource for students and scholars and those navigating the highs and lows of a creative career.
Mark Deuze is professor of media studies at the University of Amsterdam, Netherlands.
"Deuze provides a thoughtful and passionate perspective on mental health in creative work, warning us of the challenges of an industry that can rely on the creatively and goodwill of its workers."
Valérie Bélair-Gagnon, associate professor, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, USA
"There is no doubt that Professor Mark Deuze's new book is a thoughtful, well-researched and timely contribution to media and communication studies. But it is so much more than that. Well-Being and Creative Careers is also an urgent reminder of the human cost of our newfound ability to access news, information and entertainment whenever and however we like."
Diana Bossio, associate professor, RMIT, Australia
"In this important book, Deuze draws on new research supported by a wide range of empirical evidence, creative industries, and media professionals' voices. In doing so, he creates compelling evidence as to why we should all take the problems these passionate workers face seriously. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding media work and the creative industries."
Dr Sally Anne Gross, reader in music business, University of Westminster, UK
"Capturing both the damaging pressures and passionate commitments driving the mental life of creative careers, Deuze precisely analyses the emotional dichotomy at the core of media work."
Paul McDonald, professor of media industries, King's College London, UK
Autorentext
Mark Deuze is a professor of media studies at the University of Amsterdam's Faculty of Humanities. Publications of his work include over 150 academic papers and 14 books, including Well-Being and Creative Careers (Intellect, 2025), Happiness in Journalism (Routledge, 2024), and Life in Media (The MIT Press, 2023). Professor Deuze has held honorary appointments at the Faculty of Journalism at Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia, the School of Arts and Humanities at Edith Cowan University in Perth and the School of Communication of the University of Technology Sydney, Australia, and the Department of Communication and Media Studies of Northumbria University, United Kingdom. He is also band member of Skinflower, latest album Kaduc
(Record Union, 2024).