Erica Beshears Perel is the director of the Center for Innovation and Sustainability in Local Media at the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media. For 13 years, she was on the professional staff of The Daily Tar Heel, including 3.5 years as general manager. At CISLM, she runs a newsroom transformation program for emerging and legacy newsrooms in the Southeast, as well as a research and education agenda intended to build a better future for local news.