Mediakunta, the UJF’s freelance cooperative launched at the beginning of 2017 has done well in its first year. At the close of its initial financial year it was €972 in the black. The cooperative gained 172 members in 2017, about a hundred more than anticipated. By this May membership was at 183. Its billing trend has been upward due to the increase in members. By the start of October last year billing had climbed to over a hundred thousand euros a month. The cooperative’s executive director, Hanna Kokkonen, says that the aim in the near future is to better profile members’ proficiency, increase cooperation with clients and help them in finding the best professionals. “It’s a good idea, even with a tight deadline, to inquire about professionals in journalism, communications and media work,” says Kokkonen. "Our network includes journalists and publishing editors, graphic artists, translators, illustrators, and other professionals."