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Why should international aid agencies fund development of media systems? If left to their own devices, wouldn’t media systems develop on their own? For many years now, the question of impact has plagued implementers and donors of media assistance alike. Development practitioners and academics have struggled to provide evidence of impact of how, why and when media make a difference to development. This paper will consider the role of media development, a sub-sector of international development, in terms of its intended impact on democratization, strengthening the legal and regulatory environment for free expression and access to information, and citizen empowerment. In exploring these questions, the paper will look at recent media development efforts in Mozambique, Somalia, and Sudan. The author is an independent consultant who specializes in working with non-profit organizations, universities, and donors in the areas of media development, civil society assistance, and digital rights.