In this issue we see how a migrant stowaway attempt is spun into a hostage crisis. The US election and how news reporting has fractured offers further media insight. Cabotage in Brazil: an economic frontier that could open up to the world – we find out how. There’s a look at environmental compliance – how US audit training puts you in the picture. We explain the numbers in the major stories of 2020, and, as one maritime outlet sinks, who will champion seafarers? In a crisis, why choose social platforms? And why is it often better to listen?