Words matter
Hi, I’m Andrew Wildes.
I’m a lawyer (Jamaica), journalist (Canada), and media consultant.
I’m all about words. Figuring out the science and art of communicating an effective message.
My Journey
I live in Winnipeg, Canada, but I’m originally from Jamaica.
While pursuing my BA in Media and Communication at the University of the West Indies, Jamaica I wrote a letter to a major Jamaican newspaper about Mount Rosser, a narrow road winding off the side of a mountain.
'The Mount Rosser Conundrum' was published as the Letter of the Day.
It soon became the letter of the month and I was awarded The Gleaner Silver Pen Award. That led to a job at the paper and from there I fell in love with journalism.
(The National Mall, reporting for the Jamaica Gleaner on the Inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States on the 20th of January 2009.)
The Jamaica Gleaner published more than a hundred of my articles, including numerous headlines.
The highlight of my early career was covering the 2009 Inauguration of U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington D.C. for the Jamaica Gleaner (The Jamaica Star and Gleaner/Power106FM Radio News).
That same year I received The Prime Minister's Youth Award for Excellence in Journalism.
(US President Barack H. Obama travels in “The Beast” along the Inaugural Parade Route with his wife Michelle and daughters Malia, and Sasha, after being sworn as the 44th President of the United States on the 20th of January 2009. (Photo by Andrew Wildes))
In 2012, I had the opportunity to return to the United States during the run-up to the presidential election as part of a Washington Foreign Press Centre Reporting Tour, focused on "Youth in Politics."
I had the privilege of conducting interviews with various individuals, including government officials, politicians, and advocates. These interviews took place in notable locations such as Washington, D.C., including the U.S. Department of State, and also in Houston and Austin, Texas. It was an engaging experience that allowed me to explore the role of young people in American politics. (The stories are in my portfolio.)
The Law
In 2013 I was called to the bar in Jamaica.
I stepped back from journalism to focus on my new career, but I have never stopped writing.
In fact, studying and practicing law has significantly improved my skills in investigative research, analytical thinking, fact-checking, and technical writing. It’s given me a voracious appetite to go beyond the accepted narrative.
In 2012 I also pivoted to blogging and started writing about issues like faith, dating, health, and other key lifestyle issues.
My blog, Maximizemylife.com (now defunct), won the 2012 Jamaica Blog Award for the best lifestyle blog.
(When I was young! This is the 20th of November 2013, the day I was called to the Bar at the Supreme Court in Jamaica.)
CBC News
Fast forward to 2021 when I migrated to Canada.
I joined the CBC in December that year and stayed there until February 2023.
I love telling the stories of Canadians and seeing all sides of my province.
Working for the CBC offered me the opportunity to write for 3 platforms - TV, Radio and the Web - on a consistent basis (you can see these in my portfolio).
My feature on the 75-year legal struggle between the Fox Lake Cree Nation and the government of Canada for land, entitled Fox Lake’s Promised Land, was a finalist for the 2023 RTDNA Awards Prairies Region Finalist for Enterprise Journalism in the category of Enterprise Journalism.
The Next Chapter
In 2023 my life was upended in the best way, by the birth of my second child, my son Malachi and my family had to adjust.
I decided to enter the world of freelance journalism and to offer my help as a communicator directly through as a consultant, to groups, companies and individuals who have something to say.
I am also working on several creative projects in music and online content creation.