First-year students at the University of Media, Arts and Communication - Institute of Journalism (UniMAC-IJ), have been encouraged to build connections with media practitioners in order to increase their exposure.

Guests who spoke at Start Right, an event organised by Professor Godwin Etse Sikanku and the Centre for Public Discourse and Analysis (CPDA) on Friday, shared the view that such connections could go a long way to help students achieve a successful career in journalism.

Ace broadcast journalist at Media General, Martin Asiedu Dartey, who was among the speakers, urged the budding communicators to leverage media assignments for contacts.

"You need to build the right network," he said at the university's Dzorwulu campus in Accra. "Anytime you go and cover an event with other journalists, establish relationships with them."

He advised the students to start building portfolios of things they had done, from news articles to video reports in order that they could be reserved for future references.

His colleague at Media General and award-winning reporter, Portia Gabor, encouraged the freshers to take the initiative of producing their own news stories.

She said the digital era presented numerous opportunities where students could take up careers in new media, including hosting a podcast and posting stories on YouTube.

"What are the challenging problems in society? Is it rubbish in your area that hasn't been collected for a very long time? So you use your phone. There are many stories that we showcase on television that we use our phones to record. So start like that and post it on your social media channels," she told the attentive audience.

Mrs Gabor also urged the students to specialize in a particular area in journalism, citing her outstanding work in health reporting.

A lecturer at UniMAC-IJ, Eva Kuupuolo, well-known for her student advocacy, urged students to get out of their comfort zone.

She agreed with the journalists on the need for students to maintain impactful relationships in their personal lives.

"The kind of people in your circle goes a long way to determine your future," Madam Eva counseled.

Explaining the purpose of the event, Professor Sikanku said he wanted to provide first-year students the platform to be coached by personalities who had the knowledge and experience about building successful careers in journalism and academia.

For him, building a strong foundation in the university required students to start right.