Home University: University of Waterloo
Email: b2smith@uwaterloo.ca
Education: BA, History, Concordia University of Edmonton; MA History, Waterloo
Research Fields: Cold War Era, American
Supervisor: Andrew Hunt
Benji's research focuses on the cultural, legal, and political history of President Richard Nixon's battle for control of the public narrative during the Watergate scandal. His research examines the deliberate communication strategies and public relations tactics used to influence media coverage and public perceptions of the scandal, as well as the media's role in this struggle over the Watergate narrative. Benji received his MA in History from the University of Waterloo in 2020, where he studied the extent of presidential authority as advocated by Dick Cheney from 1972 to 2008.