[al- The importance of documentaries is linked to a notion of the The philosopher John Dewey argued public as a social phenomenon. persuasively that the public so crucial to the health of a democratic society is not just individuals added up. A public is a group of people [b]. [c]. who can act together for the public good and so can challenge the deep- seated power of business and government. It is an informal body that can [d] come together in a crisis if necessary. There are as many publics as there are occasions and issues to call them forth. We can all be members of any if we have a way to communicate each other about the particular public [e]= shared problems we face. Communication, therefore, is the soul of the public.