Last year we asked our supporters what they hoped to see on our pages in 2018 . A year on, we put the question to them again

Readers' hopes for 2019: what would you like us to cover this year?

We asked the Guardian’s supporters around the world to reflect on what you hope to make space for in 2019: the causes and values that you want to prioritise, and what you would most like our journalism to focus on this year. We received hundreds of responses, and here’s a snapshot.

Empowering local communities

I would love more pieces on how to get involved in local communities, or spotlights on how people have done that successfully. I am a full-time worker and I’d like to get more involved in my local community, but I’m not sure how to go about that. I often wonder what I can do to contribute to the local neighbourhood.

Lizzie, 29, London, UK

Facebook Twitter Pinterest A parkrun in Richmond Park, London, covered by Aditya Chakrabortty for his series, the Alternatives. Photograph: Alecsandra Raluca Drăgoi/The Guardian

How people give back to their communities … ranging from adult volunteers for policing or cadet organisations through to local community initiatives and local parish councils … why do people integrate with their world in that way?

Glyn Collins, London

The Alternatives series by Aditya Chakrabortty, exploring alternative ways for the economy to work for everyone, was great. Please can we see more coverage of the innovative ways communities are solving key issues? Plus the policies that are helping and hindering community business.

Zoe Goddard, Manchester, UK

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Firefighters tackle a wildfire on Saddleworth Moor, which was declared a major incident by Greater Manchester police in June during a red-hot UK summer. Photograph: Danny Lawson/PA

The environment

Environment. 2019 must be the year that we make drastic changes!

Jenny Sandum, Essex, UK

There is only one subject that needs covering; it is so important, so manifestly significant for our survival as a species. Climate change. It should be on the front page of our newspapers every day.

Peter Ullah, Hitchin, UK

Please continue covering the environmental blights – you have been great at this in the second half of 2018 and please do keep it up on your agenda. As they say, if the environment fails, nothing else matters.

Denis, 36, London

Sustainable agriculture. One way or another, we are going to transition to an ecologically sustainable society. How we feed ourselves while preserving the long-term integrity of the ecosystems is of fundamental importance. I would like greater attention to be paid to what genuinely sustainable agriculture is and what that means for jobs, where we live, what we eat, how we live our lives, etc.

Chris Higgins, 54, Wales

Environmental and the social costs of pollution, climate change.

Robert Edwards, 65, Louisiana, US

More hints and tips on how to live in a more environmentally friendly way in rural areas. (We are not all city/urban dwellers and that means we need slightly different support.) More staycation ideas or ways of travelling that have the lowest carbon footprint please. How to reduce meat in meals – without resorting to Quorn or other meat substitutes, and without needing to go to fancy delis or buying fancy ingredients online. How to reduce our reliance on dairy – less butter, cream, milk, cheese, yogurt etc – without nasty chemically substitutes. How to eat seasonally – without relying on imports of strawberries, asparagus etc in winter, what grows here in the UK, and how can we use that to be more in tune with the seasons – including how to preserve foods to use out of season.

Karen, Monmouth, Wales

Environmental issues like climate change and plastic pollution, farm animal welfare issues like factory farming, caging of animals and the labelling of halal meat (animals not being stunned before slaughter) which is sold in supermarkets. We have a right to know what we are buying so that we can make a choice.

Naomi, 67, Stirling, Scotland

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The England netball team celebrate winning gold against Australia at the Commonwealth Games in April. Photograph: Scott Barbour/Getty Images

Gender equality

More coverage of issues affecting women around the world; continue to highlight inequalities in pay and conditions. I was very pleased to see the article discussing the lack of toilets in theatres which prevents women of all ages from attending. Continue to show the appalling treatment of women around the world.

Anne Dawson, 64, British Columbia

In your sport section, please cover more women’s sport!

Emilie, Hong Kong

Please please more women’s sport. It’s growing and it’s exciting! And there’s also room for coverage of sports where women still meet serious exclusion or sexism. With all the mess in the world, this is surely something positive the Guardian can do.

Clare Wood, 43, London

#MeToo has rightly focused on calling out abuse and exploitation. What is happening to ensure both men and women develop their understanding of this behaviour in order to eradicate it? This needs to include young people as they enter adulthood as well as the rest of us who need to adapt our behaviour in so many ways.

Margaret Loughlin, 59, Liverpool, UK

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Jair Bolsonaro’s election marks a big change in Brazil’s politics, and in the fight against climate change. Photograph: Evaristo Sa/AFP/Getty Images

International politics

Continue excellent journalism from the Guardian. Expose lies by politicians now and through the election period. And throw as much light as possible on the treatment of refugees on Manus and Nauru and how people are treated in detention centres on mainland.

Beatrice Pate, New South Wales

The election of Jair Bolsonaro as president of Brazil is a watershed in Brazilian politics. It signals a significant swing to the right after years of rule by the leftwing governments presided over by Lula and Dilma Rousseff. Generally speaking, Brazil does not receive the attention in the world’s media that a country of its size and importance deserves. The election of Bolsonaro is significant because the new government is likely to bring about changes which will impact on the world through climate change through deforestation of the Amazon as well as removing protection of indigenous peoples.

Geoffrey Brown, Nottingham, UK

Please continue to cover and explore the rise of the right.

Laurel Mackie, 42, London

I would love for the Guardian to take the lead in changing how politics and current affairs is reported in Australia: focus on policies over politics, issues over personalities, what matters to people over what matters to those trying to set the agenda to suit their own.

Kim Wingerei, 62, Gold Coast

Continue to investigate corruption in public life. Expose hidden agendas and the harm they would cause society.

Chris Newby-Robson, 68, St Neots, UK

Modern slavery, especially in the production of fashion and technology.

Michael, Cambridge, UK

I would love to read more news from European countries. Please, Guardian, help us to break out beyond our anglophone world and show us what we are missing regardless of our political status.

Jackie, 71, Southampton, UK

I really like your reporting on global cities and urban crises and solutions facing environmental and economic changes. I would like to see more on this, as it is a central issue to our present and future – it can be inspiring and at the same time prepare us.

André Bailão, 32, São Paulo, Brazil

Latin America; we are facing new socialism in the form of authoritarianism, censorship, centralised government and repression by many countries’ presidents.

Ivan Padilla, US

Global politics with emphasis on India and African nations such as South Africa and Botswana.

Raj Bhaumik, 14, Glasgow, Scotland, UK

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Battery hens at a farm in the UK. There is a renewed focus on animal welfare. Photograph: Jamie McDonald/Getty Images

Animal rights

Animal meat – show the story behind intensive farming (which is now normalised), the lifecycle of these animals from being born to the dinner table. The need for humans to reduce their meat intake to save the planet.

Jo, Nottinghamshire, UK

Wildlife crime and animal welfare, particularly in relation to hunting and flouting of the law.

Amanda, 52, Brighton, UK

I’d like 2019 to be the year that veganism and the animal rights movement are seen as a logical extension of other social justice movements.

Bryce, New Zealand



Mental Health

I would like you to cover the mental health crisis in the UK.

Maria Grazia, 49, Cardiff

Coping with cancer: how to develop mental resilience and ease depression in those who have had a cancer diagnosis.

Rajanikanth Logishetty, 57, Teesside, UK

The general state of mental health provision.

Dilys Cordingley, 76, Teddington, UK

The rights of people with no voice due to any kind of mental impairment. How to make them visible, heard, respected and understood as individuals. These are the most dehumanised, abused and neglected people in our society. They are invisible at best. Their rights depend on society’s willingness to acknowledge them as equal – which it does not.

Kathryn, Hertfordshire, UK

Mental health awareness – what can communities do to help? What are the worst policies and actions for the vulnerable and traumatised? What should families be responsible for, and what resources are available to them?

Kathleen Goldingay, 64, Oxford, UK

Preparing for and enjoying the later stages of life. All life stages require awareness, advance preparation, culture change and financial competency.

Douglas Pigg, 69, Dorset, UK



Trans rights

I would like to see the Guardian give a more balanced perspective to both sides of the debate surrounding reform of the Gender Recognition Act.

Lucy, Sheffield, UK

Trans people’s voices, especially trans women.

Josephine, London



I’d like to see more coverage exploring the issue of gender identity.

Barry Shell, 67, Vancouver, Canada

A critical look at medically transitioning young people and their complex psychological needs.

Kathryn, York, UK

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Wild Boars football team were rescued, along with their coach, from a cave in Thailand – a moment of positivity in 2018. Photograph: HANDOUT/AFP/Getty Images

Positive news

I’d like you to try and emphasise more positive stories. The world is in a dreadful situation, and more and more are turning to wilful ignorance in order to cope. There are good things happening though, and I would love to hear about them.

James McDonagh, 45, Worcester, UK



Reporting the positive statistics as well as the negative ones – especially for the NHS.

Gillian Dunn, 65, Northumberland, UK



Even more material on positive possibilities for our future – reporting on people and communities with new ideas, new ways of thinking about how we can respond creatively to the challenges we face environmentally, socially and politically. The piece from Ai Weiwei this morning on the need for unity around human rights is excellent. Please bring us fine examples from artists and political philosophers, social activists and pragmatists who are making meaningful progress amongst all the chaos and divisions.

Carol Culshaw, Guernsey, UK

We need more positive stories and examples for inspiration and optimism. We need to see how individuals, small businesses and NGOs create local positive impact and change – and perhaps ideas can spread and become global.

Malene Bødker Leerberg, 48, Denmark



International stories about normal people not being sidelined. Stories about people from Asia, South America and Africa are often about all the tragic things which are happening to them (which is important of course!) but it makes a very one-sided view of how diverse lifestyles are in those continents.

Ida, 26, Stevenage, UK