Established in 1988, it is owned and operated by the Journalists Association of Turkey (Turkish: Türkiye Gazeteciler Cemiyeti, TGC).

In 1983, the mayor of Istanbul, Abdullah Tırtıl, and the board of the Journalists Association of Turkey, led by its president Nezih Demirkent (1930-2001), agreed to establish a museum for the press media.

[1][2][3] The museum building, was commissioned by Ottoman Minister Saffet Pasha and designed by the Swiss architects Fossati brothers, Gaspare (1809-1883) and Giuseppe (1822-1891), in neoclassical architecture in 1865.

[6][8] Over 60 portraits in oil painting depicting people, who contributed to the journalism in the Ottoman Empire and Turkey, are found in the museum,[2][4][5] such as of Abdi İpekçi, Agah Efendi (1832–1885), Agop Arad, Ahmet Ağaoğlu (1869–1939), Ahmed Cevdet Pasha (1822–1895), Ahmet Emin Yalman, Ahmet İhsan Tokgöz, Ahmet Mithat Efendi (1844—1913), Ahmet Rasim, Ahmet Samim, Ali Naci Karacan (1896–1955), Ali Suavi (1838–1878), Asım Us, Basiretçi Ali, Burhan Felek (1889–1982), Cemal Nadir, Cevat Fehmi Başkut, Cihat Baban, Çetin Emeç, Doğan Nadi Abalıoğlu, Ebuzziya Tevfik, Elif Naci, Ercüment Ekrem Talu, Hakkı Tarık Us, Hüseyin Cahit Yalçın (1875–1957), İ. Şinasi Bey, Ibrahim Muteferrika (1674–1745), Kadri Kayabal, Kazım Nami Duru, Mahmut Sadak, Mihran Efendi, Mustafa Yücel, Mümtaz Faik Fenik, Münif Fehim Özerman, Namık Kemal (1840–1888), Necmettin Sadak (1890–1953), Nezih Demirkent, Reşat Nuri Güntekin (1889–1956), Sabiha Sertel, Sait Kesler, Sedat Simavi, Şemsettin Sami (1850–1904), Teodor Kasap, Velid Ebuzziya, Yunus Nadi Abalıoğlu (1879–1945), Zekeriya Sertel.

[2][5] Publications cover media and press issues in history,[3] socio-economic, education, culture and communication, social and psychological aspects.

[6][9] Milestones in the history of the journalism in the Ottoman Empire and Turkey are documented with the first ever newspaper Vekayi-i Misriye published in 1828, proliferation of newspapers in the Second Constitutional Era (1908–1920), news on events like establishment of the national parliament (1920), proclamation of the Republic (1923), adoption of the Latin alphabet (1928) and delivery of Nutuk ("The Speech") by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1927).

[1][2] The Nezih Demirkent Auditorium at the third floor, used for meetings, conferences, seminars, panel discussions and symposia, can hold 100 persons.