Suomen Journalistiliitto

What Suomen Journalistiliitto does

Suomen Journalistiliitto (Union of Journalists in Finland) is a non-profit trade union founded in Helsinki on March 28, 1921, representing approximately 14,000 members of which around 6,464 are permanently employed, 1,577 are freelancers/entrepreneurs, 1,010 are students, 645 are unemployed, and 3,968 are pensioners. The union negotiates nine collective agreements covering the press, broadcasting, publishing, film and TV production, and communications sectors, and serves as the recognized advocate for journalism ethics and press freedom in Finland. Its 18 regional and national member associations provide workplace-level representation through shop stewards, while an in-house team of specialized labor lawyers and collective agreement experts delivers legal advice across labor, copyright, and freelance contract matters.

The union's core product is membership, which bundles legal advisory, insurance (travel, accident, legal expenses), earnings-related unemployment security, copyright royalty collection via Kopiosto, training programs, vacation accommodations in Vierumäki and Saariselkä, and the bimonthly-plus Journalisti magazine. The only technology products are the digital Pressikortti app (updated June 2026) serving as a member identification and benefit access card, the Oma Journalistiliitto self-service portal, and a new CityShoppari discount-app partnership. There is no proprietary technology platform beyond these member-service tools.

Revenue is generated almost entirely from recurring membership fees, tiered by category (employed, freelancer, student, unemployed, pensioner), supplemented by investment income of approximately €2 million in 2025 from the union's portfolio. Fee revenue is declining year-over-year as membership contracts and members shift to lower-fee categories, producing an operational deficit that the union is addressing by divesting assets including its Saariselkä holiday property and investment apartments, and through a broader cost-rationalization program. The union is governed democratically by its Fullmäktige (council) and board with no external owners.

Name

Suomen Journalistiliitto

Legal name

Suomen Journalistiliitto ry

Website

https://journalistiliitto.fi

Company type

Private

Founded year

1921

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Suomen Journalistiliitto is a Finnish non-profit trade union founded in 1921, representing approximately 14,000 journalists and media professionals through collective bargaining, legal advice, training, and member services across nine media-sector agreements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Union Services

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAJADAF

Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/News Publishing (Newspapers, Digital Newsrooms, Wire Services)

SECONDARYMPAAADAI

Media Relations & Press Office Services

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Advertising, Marketing & PR Services/Public Relations & Communications Agencies

Keywords

• Trade union services
• Collective bargaining
• Press card services
• Journalist advocacy
• Member benefits

Headquarters

HQ city

Helsinki

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: The primary revenue stream comes from membership fees paid by approximately 14,000 members. Fees vary by membership category: regular employees, freelancers/entrepreneurs, students (reduced rate), pensioners, and unemployed members pay different fee levels. Fee revenue has been decreasing due to declining membership numbers and members transitioning to lower-fee categories.
2. Investment Income: The union generates investment income from its investment portfolio. In 2025, investment income was approximately 2 million euros, which was used to cover operational deficits, invest in a new member register, and grow equity capital. The union has sold assets including the Saariselkä holiday property to balance finances.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Suomen Journalistiliitto is a Finnish trade union representing approximately 14,000 journalists and media professionals. It negotiates nine collective agreements covering press, broadcasting, publishing, film/TV production, and communications, and delivers member services including legal advice, press cards, insurance, training, vacation accommodations, and the Journalisti magazine.

Product overview

Suomen Journalistiliitto (Finnish Journalists' Union / Union of Journalists in Finland) is a professional trade union representing approximately 14,000 journalists and media professionals. The organization offers a unified membership-based service portfolio centered on collective bargaining, labor rights advocacy, legal counseling, and member benefits. The core product is membership, which bundles together press credentials (Pressikortti), legal advice services, insurance coverage, training programs, and the Journalisti magazine. Additional offerings include vacation facilities, the CityShoppari discount app, and unemployment security through partner organizations. The union negotiates nine collective agreements covering the press, broadcasting, publishing, film/TV production, and communications sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mediakunta: A community/group for self-employed journalists and freelancers within the union structure, providing collective representation and negotiation support.
• Journalisti-lehti

Products and services

• Jäsenyys (Membership) Core membership in the Finnish Journalists' Union providing advocacy, collective bargaining, legal advice, press credentials, insurance, training, and member benefits for journalists and media professionals.
• Pressikortti (Press Card) Digital press card serving as the union's member identification card that demonstrates professional journalist status in various work situations. Available as a mobile application with access to member benefits.
• Lakineuvonta (Legal Advice) Free legal counseling service for members regarding labor law, employment contracts, freelance agreements, and working condition questions. Available by phone (044 7555 000) and email ([email protected]).
• Vakuutukset (Insurance) Members receive travel insurance for leisure time, accident insurance for leisure time, and legal expenses insurance as part of membership benefits.
• Lomapaikat (Vacation Facilities) Vacation accommodations in Vierumäki and Saariselkä areas (Saariselkä property subsequently sold), with recreation stipends (free vacation weeks) available to members.
• Koulutus (Training) Annual training and educational events organized by the union and member associations, most free for members. Includes professional development courses and union activities.
• Journalisti-lehti (Journalist Magazine) The Journalisti professional magazine published eight times per year, covering media industry news and union matters. Available to members and subscribers.
• Työehtosopimukset (Collective Agreements) Journalistiliitto negotiates nine collective agreements covering media industry sectors including press, broadcasting, publishing, film/TV production, and communications.
• Ansiosidonnainen työttömyysturva (Earnings-Related Unemployment Security) Unemployment benefits provided through the a-kassa (unemployment fund) for eligible members during periods of unemployment.
• CityShoppari Member Benefit Third-party mobile application offering over 1,000 member discounts at up to 2,000 service locations in Finland, including restaurants, hotels, spas, and retail stores. Free for union members.

Quantifiable outcome

• Negotiates collective agreements for 9 media industry sectors covering wages, working hours, and conditions
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• KopiostocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKopiosto is a copyright organization that manages the rights and interests of creative sector professionals including journalists. When members join Journalistiliitto, they are encouraged to sign a Kopiosto authorization allowing Kopiosto to manage their copyright interests. Kopiosto pays millions of euros annually in copyright compensation to creators. Members can apply for Kopiosto grants through the Jokes foundation.
• European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational organization representing journalists' unions across Europe. Journalistiliitto participates in EFJ activities and advocacy at the European level on press freedom, working conditions, and media policy.
• International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal organization representing journalists' associations worldwide. Journalistiliitto participates in international journalism organization activities and advocacy for press freedom and journalists' rights internationally.
• CityShoppariminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFinnish application that aggregates over 1,000 benefits at up to 2,000 service locations. Journalistiliitto members receive free access to the app (normally 19.99 euros/year) with discounts on restaurants, hotels, services, and more.
• Suomen freelance-journalistit (SFJ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinlands frilansjournalister (Finnish Freelance Journalists) is one of the three national member associations of Journalistiliitto. It represents press freelancers and provides specific support for self-employed media professionals.
• Julkisen sanan neuvosto (JSN)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Council for Mass Media is the Finnish self-regulatory body for media ethics. Journalistiliitto is involved in developing and promoting the Journalistin ohjeet (Journalist Guidelines). Any person can file a complaint with JSN if they assess that media has violated the guidelines.
• Nordic Journalist Centres (NJC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNordic cooperation in journalism providing education, networking, and professional development across Scandinavian countries.
• Vikes - JournalistikompetensminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinnish development cooperation organization working to strengthen journalism and freedom of expression internationally.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Union of Journalists (NUJ): The UK and Ireland's journalists' trade union, providing directly comparable functions: collective bargaining, legal advice, training, and press cards for media professionals.
• Deutsche Journalistinnen- und Journalisten-Union (DJU): The German journalists' union (a division of ver.di), comparable in size and function as a major European trade union for journalists negotiating collective agreements and providing professional services.
• The NewsGuild-CWA (TNG-CWA): The largest US union representing journalists and newsroom employees, comparable as a national trade union for journalists negotiating collective agreements and providing member services in a different media market.

Others

• European Federation of Journalists (EFJ): The European federation of journalists' unions; Journalistiliitto is a member and works with EFJ on press freedom and media policy. EFJ is comparable as the supranational coordination body for journalists' unions across Europe.
• Medialiitto (Finnish Media Federation): The Finnish media industry employer association that is the primary counterparty to Journalistiliitto in collective bargaining. While not a peer organization, Medialiitto provides the most relevant industry context and is intimately tied to the union's core activity.
• International Federation of Journalists (IFJ): The global federation of journalists' unions; Journalistiliitto participates in IFJ advocacy. Comparable as the international coordinating body for journalists' unions worldwide.

Regional players

• Dansk Journalistforbund (DJ): The Danish Union of Journalists, a Nordic peer organization providing collective bargaining, training, and member services to Danish journalists, sharing many of the same Nordic media market dynamics as Finnish journalists.
• Sveriges Journalistförbund (SJF): The Swedish Journalists' Union, the most directly comparable Nordic peer organization negotiating collective agreements and representing Swedish journalists, with similar structure and member services.
• Akavan Erityisalat (ERTO): A Finnish trade union confederation under Akava representing professional and managerial staff, of which Journalistiliitto is a member. Comparable as a Finnish professional/white-collar union providing collective representation services.
• Norsk Journalistlag (NJ): The Norwegian Union of Journalists, a Nordic peer providing collective bargaining, legal advice, and member benefits to Norwegian journalists, with comparable cooperative relationships with Nordic counterparts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/journalistiliitto
• Facebookfacebook.com/158940384243926
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/suomenjournalistiliitto
• Instagraminstagram.com/journalistiliitto

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 Suomen Journalistiliitto