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Contents

Chairperson�’s Foreword ..................................... 2

Our Focus ............................................................5

Our Vision ............................................................5

Purpose................................................................5

Our Values ...........................................................5

About Us..............................................................6

What We Do ........................................................7

Our People...........................................................8

Our Training.........................................................8

Our Context.........................................................9

Our Communications ........................................ 10

Advertising Sales ................................................... 11

Marketing.............................................................. 11

Our Impact ......................................................... 11

Measures............................................................... 11

Our Board ...........................................................12

Our Governance .................................................12

Our Management Team ....................................12

Our Funding Partners ........................................13

What�’s Ahead .................................................... 15

Social Media.......................................................... 15

New Projects ......................................................... 15

Front CoverLeft: Photographer John Zaw, Kachin Refugees ucanews.com galleryRight: Photographer John Zaw, St Mary�’s Myanmar, ucanews.com galleryBottom Right: Photographer Chirendra Satyal, Nepal Day Care, ucanews.com galleryPage 2UCAN Photo Stock, Cambodia

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Chairperson�’s Foreword

The mission of UCAN remains what it was at its foundation over thirtyyears ago �– to hear the experience, register the challenges andopportunities, and ponder the relevance of the Church in Asia.

Our context is set by a number of factors �– the cultural and religiousdiversity of Asia, the uneven state of social, economic and politicaldevelopment across the Continent, the minority status of the Church inalmost all societies and work in an industry (media) driven by a freneticpace of change.

Not surprisingly, UCAN is an organisation in a state of rapid change to match the changeshappening all about it. The year just ended has witnessed a number of contributors to changecontinue to have their effect in the way societies and economies operate and in how peopleacross Asia access news and information, increasingly through social media.

There have been some welcome and unwelcome changes �– the first signs of democratic reformin Myanmar, instability on the Korean peninsula with the death of North Korea�’s all powerfulleader, renewed repression of activists and dissidents in China and Vietnam where authoritiesrightly fear local versions of the Arab Spring.

All these factors and others such as financial uncertainty in Europe and the United States havetheir impacts on the Church in Asia and the life and work of UCAN.

The Process of ChangeIn 2011, our focus was on:

Strategic clarity and focus Organisational restructuring Extension of the skills, capacities and reporting skills among those we employ Efficiencies and savings New capacities in marketing, project management, advertising sales and human

resources management

In 2012, we will look to enhance all these elements, begin to generate our own revenue throughadvertising and more effectively embrace the ubiquitous communications platforms across Asia �–social media.

Reporting and AccountabilityOur supporters, benefactors and key stakeholders are all important to us and our effectiveservice. In July 2011, our Board and representatives of our donor agencies convened a frank andeffective meeting in Cologne. Our pattern of reporting to donors has been streamlined and is,from responses, well appreciated. Our attempts to partner with other Church communicationsagencies, while not always fully understood (perhaps through our own limitations andshortcomings), are sincere and will continue.

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Within UCAN, job descriptions with key performance indicators, provide a much more reliablemeasure to assess our productivity and quality. Constant review and further trainingopportunities will, we believe, enhance the quality of our service.

Looking AheadUCAN is a media resource at the service of the Church. Our goal is to enhance the mission andidentity of the Church in Asia by applying the disciplines and processes of media professionals tothe challenge.

In 2012, we look to new projects in India, Vietnam and Japan to extend that service in partnershipwith local Catholic groups. And, consistent with what the Holy Father and many authoritieswithin and beyond the Church see, social media will only get larger as a component in our work.

After a productive year and with some exciting challenges ahead, I commend this report to you.

Chainarong Monthienvichienchai

Chair of UCAN Board

Photographer Jordan Pouille, Vietnam Catholics, ucanews.com gallery

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PurposeUCAN exists to report and sharenews and information from aboutor of relevance to the CatholicChurch in Asia. We currently haveoperations in 22 countries andemploy 46 personnel, includingeditors, sub editors, IT technicians,marketing, administration andgeneral management.

Our FocusTo be a News and InformationService that is: A modern, independent andaccurate media service for theChurch

An aggregated source for theChurch of relevant storiespublished by others

A publisher of targeted countryand language specific newsletters and information servicesfor the Church

Our VisionWe aim to be a trusted and up todate observer, reporter andcommentator informing andengaging people interested inissues that impact the Church aswell as issues which are impactedby the Church in Asia. We seek toprovide a voice for the Church inAsia its struggles, triumphs anddisappointments from the peoplevitally and directly involved.

http://www.ucanews.com/2012/02/03/merkel to visit guangzhou bishop/Photographer John Zaw, St Mary�’s Myanmar, ucanews.com galleryPhotographer Guangzhou reporter, Bishop Joseph Gan JunqiuPhoto from Hong Kong Vigil, ucanews.com gallery

Our Values Independent Objective Respectful Humane

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About Uswww.ucanews.com is our mainwebsite which publishes news andinformation from, about and ofinterest to the Catholic Church inAsia. In 2011, we had five daily andfour weekly newsletters. In 2012,we will have five daily (Korea, thePhilippines, Indonesia, India andUCAN's own) newsletters and twoweeklies (China and Vietnam).

Photographer John Zaw, St Mary�’s Myanmar, ucanews.com galleryUCAN Photo Stock, CambodiaPhotographer John Zaw, Mandalay School, ucanews.com gallery

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What We DoUCA News is a multi channel news andinformation portal currentlyproviding services in four Asianlanguages as well as English withmaterial compatible for convergentmedia use.

Websites in India, the Philippines,Korea, China and Indonesia are local,country specific services which publisha summary of the major news andinformation from, about and of interestto the Catholic Church in that country.They are sourced from ucanews.com aswell as local UCA News reporting andaggregated resources.

The websites and newsletters are inthese languages �– English, Chinese,Korean and Bahasa Indonesia. AVietnamese translation service is alsoavailable through the main website.

UCAN creates,aggregates and

distributes across andbeyond Asia informationon the experiences andideas of Catholics in Asia

http://www.ucanews.com/2011/05/05/one small step closer to peace/Photographer Kamran Chaudry Bin Laden�’s HouseUCAN Photo Stock, Cambodia

UCAN providesindependent, objectiveand accurate reportingabout issues of interestto Catholics and the

Catholic Church acrossAsia and around the

world

UCAN enables fast,locally sourced

reporting of criticalissues from 200

reporters across 22countries

UCAN provides a uniqueopportunity in Asia and inthe wider world for thecreation and sharing ofnews, opinion, analysis anddiscussion about what theChurch is doing onimportant issues in Asianlocations

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Our PeopleUCA News has 46 full time staff with up to 200 reporters providingstories, features and analysis across 22 countries. We have 12 offices,with some covering several countries or regions.Our people are our greatest asset. Their skills are in the areas of: Reporting: text, audio, audio visual Editing: text, audio, audio visual Administration: finance, legal accountabilities Human Resources: induction, training, job description,

accountabilities, performance review IT: network and site management, database maintenance Marketing of all products and services Advertising sales on all sites Project management

Our TrainingThe UCAN Institute is the multipurpose education resourcethat supplies: Induction Reporter training Skill development in photography, audio and audio visual

interviewing and production, editing, reporting Preparation for writing and editing for the web Basic and advanced English language training Theology and mission in Church communications Business management and business development

training Social Media engagement and use

Photographer T PooleUCAN Photo Stock, Cambodia

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Our ContextAsia is the growth hub of world economies and home to the twoemerging giants �– China and India. But all its changes are not justmeasured by economic growth indicators.

Technology is having an impact across the board, most obviously ineducation, business and communications. But all those changeshave a cumulative impact on culture and it is the cultures of Asiansocieties where the Church and its message have impacts.

All of this change is especially important for a service such as UCANews. Though the reach is uneven, all societies in our region, withthe exception of a couple with oppressive dictatorships, havesignificant and growing technology infrastructures. For UCA News,this means the present and future of our work is on the internet andthrough Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

But the context is varied. In most Asian societies, the Church is aminority. ICT availability and internet penetration has the highestand lowest levels on a world scale.

Each society has its own language(s), often script andcommunications protocols which make a �“one size fits all�” solutioninadequate and, in the long term, irrelevant.

http://www.ucanews.com/2012/02/06/german chancellor visits chinese cathedral/German Chancellor visits GuangzhouGoogle Images

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Our CommunicationsOur methods of publication cover locally relevant news: Share news of the Church elsewhere which is relevant or of interest

locally Enable content to be sensitive to local church community Reflect the life of Catholics living in a particular country with its unique

culture, religion, language, political or social situation Able to publish in local languages:

o Chinese (simple & traditional)o Koreano Indonesiano Vietnamese

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Our Impact

MeasuresGoogle Analytics and Alexa allow daily measures oftraffic and provide granular detail on locations,traffic to stories, how long readers stay on our sites,what languages they want, age and educationqualifications of readers.

As well, in mid 2011, we conducted the first of whatwill be an annual event �– a readership survey. Itachieved a remarkable 10% response rate from ourreaders, a powerful and instructive indication ofsatisfaction / dissatisfaction assessments and helpfulindicators for future improvements.

MarketingAs a digital publisherin its own right,UCAN needs topromote its uniqueproducts toreaderships acrossthe world. One ofthe basic resourcesa publisher needs isnow in place �– aMarketing Directorwho overseescampaigns to growsubscribers andtraffic for all ourproducts.

Advertising SalesNow that UCAN hasquadrupled its traffic in 18months and has effectivemeasures and marketingcapacity to maintain andgrow traffic, efforts to selladvertising have hardfacts on which to sellspace on our sites. Adedicated sales manageris in place and we lookforward to seeing manymore advertisers in 2012

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Our GovernanceIn 2011, three effective instruments at the disposal of the UCAN Board to ensure best practice were eithercompleted or initiated.Completed:1. Full incorporation in Korea, Hong Kong, Philippines, India and Indonesia to ensure full statutory

compliance with legal, tax, insurance and health requirements for employees in each jurisdiction.2. Contracts and Job Descriptions with key performance indicators for all UCAN full time employeesInitiated:1. Consultations with Canon lawyers leading to a recommended form of Canonical Incorporation to

meet the requirements of Church law.

Our BoardChainarong Monthienvichienchai (Chair) (Thailand)Fr. Guillaume Arotcarena MEP (France)Peter Monthienvichienchai (Thailand)Virginia Saldanha (India)Wong Wai Fong (China)Yoshio Oyanagi (Japan)Fr. Jose Aramburu MM (USA)Archbishop Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovitvanit (Thailand)

Our Management Team

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Our Funding Partners

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Where Our Money Generously Comes From

HowWe Distribute Our Money

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Social MediaThe overwhelming phenomenon of social media not onlyas a news and information carrier but as news makers andcreator has swept the world. Its significance is seen by allmedia organisations that expect to have a future.

But just what strategy to adopt, what skills need to beacquired and what impact social media have on reportingand writing are all important and open questions.

For UCAN, 2012 will be the year for social media and eachof these tasks (adopting a strategy, developing skills,changing traditional practices) will be taken up in anorderly and considered way.

New ProjectsVietnamThe country is growing exponentially in economic terms but continues to endure the constraints of a Stategoverned by one party and controlled by its intelligence, police and military apparatus.

Reporting Vietnam and publishing in Vietnamese have many challenges that include maintaining the safety ofpeople in our networks. But our work in China has produced some notable successes. Drawing on thatexperience and in partnership with people in Vietnam, UCAN will launch an enhanced service in 2012.

JapanFollowing discussions with responsible authorities in the Japan Catholic Bishops Conference, UCAN is exploringthe creation of a Japanese character site and weekly newsletter to service the electronic media requirementsof the Church in Japan. This will be a CBCJ owned and operated facility which UCAN is assisting the localChurch to develop.

SpiritualityAt the centre of Catholic faith is the heartfelt embrace of a relationship with Jesus Christ celebrated in theSacraments.An explicit offering of Catholic spirituality through our sites has two purposes:1. A service in making the rich array available online to enhance prayerful engagement that can come with

content partnerships we are forging2. A way of providing a balanced selection of different types of content that induces visitors to stay longer on

our site

What�’s Ahead

Photo from Hong Kong Vigil, ucanews.com gallery

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UCA News Bangkok Head OfficeP.O. Box 40, Ratchatewi Post Office, 10401 Bangkok THAILAND