The notion of media development is examined more specifically. It shows to what extent it is linked to a normative reference to democracy. By deconstructing the very idea of ‘development,’ it is argued that a broader and more neutral term such as 'media action' is preferable. Stripped of its missionary dimension, media action calls on contradictory injunctions aimed at “doing good,” with an increasing imperative of accountability and de-Westernisation. Nevertheless, the ambiguous paradigm of ‘change’ leads to the pursuit of specific objectives, where comparing media systems can exemplify them.