SNJ

What SNJ does

SNJ (Syndicat National des Journalistes) is France's oldest and largest trade union for professional journalists, founded in 1918 and headquartered at 33 rue du Louvre in Paris. It organizes two primary member segments — permanent staff journalists (salariés) and freelance journalists (pigistes) — across print, audiovisual, and online media, with local sections embedded in major employers including AFP, France Télévisions, Radio France, Groupe Express, and Ouest France, plus regional and overseas-territory sections. SNJ is a founding member of both the International Federation of Journalists (FIJ) and Union Syndicale Solidaires, anchoring its domestic and international advocacy footprint.

The union's core offerings fall into three categories: publications (Le Journaliste magazine and specialized guides such as Le Guide du journaliste and Des piges et des droits), professional services (legal defense, press card assistance via CCIJP, salary grids, collective bargaining, freelance work templates like the Modèle d'accord de pige, and training programs routed through AFDAS), and advocacy infrastructure (deontology, taxation, and legal permanences; specialized pigistes pole; and member-only digital tools for CSE and negotiation work). Notable ongoing activity includes Drieets-backed interventions in employment-protection plans at Yonne Républicaine and Infopro Digital, strike support at Le Monde, and contributions to Senate proposals on press ethics and independence.

SNJ generates revenue exclusively through annual membership subscriptions; specific dues amounts are not publicly disclosed. The organization is privately structured as a French syndicat professionnel under the Code du travail, with no equity, no investors, no parent company, and no subsidiaries. Governance is exercised through elected bodies (Congrès national, Comité national, Bureau national) led by a Premier secrétaire général who also serves as Directeur de publication. Distribution relies on a multi-channel mix: website and email, social platforms (Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Bluesky), the printed Le Journaliste magazine, and the localized section network.

Name

SNJ

Legal name

Syndicat national des journalistes

Website

https://snj.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1918

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SNJ is France's oldest and largest journalists' trade union, founded 1918, organizing permanent and freelance journalists through collective bargaining, legal defense, publications, training, and advocacy across French print, audiovisual, and online media.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Union Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (813920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarly Society & Association Publishing (EDAGAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Scholarly Societies & Conference Proceedings Publishing (MPAJABAK)

Keywords

• Journalists trade union
• Press freedom advocacy
• Collective bargaining
• Professional ethics
• Press card services

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: SNJ generates revenue through annual membership subscriptions paid by journalists. The union represents both permanent journalists and freelance journalists (pigistes) who pay to join the syndicate for professional defense, legal support, and collective bargaining representation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SNJ (Syndicat National des Journalistes) is France's oldest and largest trade union for journalists, founded in 1918. It sells annual memberships providing professional defense, legal support, collective bargaining representation, ethics guidance, press card assistance, and specialized resources for both permanent staff journalists and freelance journalists (pigistes). The union also publishes professional guides, magazines, and templates, and organizes training programs.

Product overview

SNJ (Syndicat National des Journalists) is France's largest journalists' union offering a unified service portfolio focused on professional advocacy, legal support, and continuing education. The core offerings include publications (Le Journaliste magazine, specialized guides like Le Guide du journaliste and Des piges et des droits), professional training programs (Formation professionnelle with 28 conventional training modules and professional passport certifications), and legal/contractual tools (Modèle d'accord de pige templates, Convention collective documentation, salary grids). Additional services include press card assistance, freelance journalist support center (Espace Pigiste), and expert commissions for deontology, taxation, and legal matters. The organization also provides members-only tools accessible via the Adhérent espace for negotiation, collective bargaining, and union representation activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Le Journaliste
• Le Journaliste spécial centenaire
• Des piges et des droits
• Le livret du SNJ
• 100 ans de journalisme
• Le Guide du journaliste
• Formation professionnelle
• Convention collective des journalistes
• Grilles de salaires
• Modèle d'accord de pige

Quantifiable outcome

• Ongoing support for journalists at Le Monde (strike action June 2026), La Lozère Nouvelle, Yonne Républicaine PSE, and Infopro Digital
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AFDAScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012AFDAS (Fonds d'assurance formation des secteurs culture, communication, audiovisuel, loisirs) is the training fund that manages professional development for journalists in press, agencies, and online media. Since January 2012, freelance journalists must direct training requests to AFDAS for financing.
• Solidaires (Union Syndicale Solidaires)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1918SNJ is a founding member of Solidaires (Union Syndicale Solidaires), a major French trade union federation. This affiliation provides SNJ with broader labor movement backing and coordinated advocacy on social and economic issues affecting workers.
• FIJ (Fédération Internationale des Journalistes / International Federation of Journalists)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1918SNJ is a founding member of the International Federation of Journalists (FIJ), the global organization representing journalists' unions worldwide. This membership provides international solidarity, cross-border advocacy for press freedom, and connection to the global journalism community.
• AGESSAminorOthersAGESSA (Association pour la gestion de la sécurité sociale des auteurs) manages social security contributions for authors. SNJ interacts with AGESSA to report abusive payment practices where journalists are incorrectly paid as authors instead of salaried employees.
• CCIJPcoreOthersCCIJP (Commission de la carte d'identité des journalistes professionnels) issues professional press cards. SNJ supports members in obtaining and renewing their cards, which are essential for freelance journalists' legal status and various rights.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• National Union of Journalists (NUJ, UK): UK and Ireland's main journalists' trade union, also affiliated with the IFJ. Comparable to SNJ in mission (collective bargaining, press freedom, freelance support) but operating in a distinct legal and media-market environment, making it a useful structural benchmark rather than a direct competitor.
• Deutscher Journalisten-Verband (DJV): Germany's largest journalists' union and IFJ affiliate. Functionally similar to SNJ — collective bargaining, freelance support, and press freedom advocacy — but operating exclusively in the German media market under German labor law.

Emerging players

• Reporters Without Borders (RSF): International press freedom NGO headquartered in Paris with strong brand recognition among French journalists. Overlaps with SNJ's press freedom advocacy but focuses on journalist safety and censorship rather than labor representation and collective bargaining.

Direct peers

• SUD Journalistes (Union Syndicale Solidaires): Journalist union affiliated with the same Union Syndicale Solidaires federation that SNJ co-founded. Closely aligned ideologically with SNJ and operating in the same advocacy space for press freedom and freelance rights, making it a direct competitor for the same membership base.
• CGT-Journalistes: Journalist section of the Confédération générale du travail (CGT), one of France's largest trade union confederations. Directly competes with SNJ for French journalist members, particularly permanent staff, with similar collective bargaining and professional defense mandates but anchored to a broader cross-sector federation.
• USJ-CFDT (Union Syndicale des Journalistes CFDT): Journalist union affiliated with the CFDT confederation, representing French journalists in collective bargaining and labor disputes. Directly competes with SNJ for members and elections of représentativité, offering the institutional backing of a reformist confederation.
• FO Journalistes (Force Ouvrière): Journalist branch of Force Ouvrière, another major French trade union confederation. Directly competes with SNJ in representing French journalists, particularly in audiovisual and print press, with comparable services in salary negotiation and professional defense.

Broad incumbents

• Fédération Internationale des Journalistes (FIJ/IFJ): Global federation of journalists' unions of which SNJ is a founding member. Operates internationally on press freedom and journalist safety rather than direct French collective bargaining, but represents the umbrella organization and broader coordination layer above SNJ's national mandate.

Others

• Conseil de déontologie journalistique et de médiation (CDJM): French press ethics mediation body whose 'Charte d'éthique professionnelle' is closely tied to SNJ's professional ethics framework. Adjacent rather than competitive, working with SNJ on ethical standards for the profession.
• Commission de la carte d'identité des journalistes professionnels (CCIJP): Official French body issuing the carte de presse to professional journalists. SNJ partners with CCIJP to help members obtain and renew their press cards, making it a critical ecosystem partner rather than a competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SNJ_national
• Facebookfacebook.com/SyndicatNationalJournalistes
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/snj
• Instagraminstagram.com/snj_national_journalistes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SNJ