The Unesco-New World Information Order debate regarding the problems of communication development faced by the Third World is the focus of this paper. The paper begins with a discussion of the reasons for the United States withdrawal from Unesco, mentioning its lack of faith in the purposes, competence, and honesty of the organization. The second part of the paper discusses reasons for the failure of the New World Information Order, while the third part points out the importance of communication development to economic development and cites three studies focusing on telecommunications--the centerpiece of a renewed interest in communication and development for the rest of the l980s and into the 1990s. The fourth part of the paper discusses (1) four U.S. government agencies investing in communication development in third world countries in 1984; (2) the government and media interest in the issue; (3) a list of 300 exchange, training, and internship programs in 70 countries put together by the World Press Freedom Committee and the Associated Press; (4) the establishment of a permanent foreign journalists' center (with a list of the orientation and training programs for which it serves as a clearinghouse); and (5) evidence of commitment to long-term development assistance. The paper concludes that communication has the potential to contribute constructively to Third World Development. (EL)