A prominent voice from the left-winged blogosphere is coming to SF State on Monday to share his insight and expertise on the form of opinionated media that has swept the Internet: blogging.

Co-sponsored by the journalism and political science departments, "Morning with The Daily Kos" will feature speaker Markos Moulitsas, founder and author of the Daily Kos blog.

"[Moulitsas] is such a prominent blogger, and I think it's really important that students understand this new form of media and that he can help," said Political Science chairman James Martel.

The Daily Kos blog, which focuses on liberal politics, was founded by Moulitsas in 2002. Moulitsas was a self-proclaimed member of the Republican Party before he joined the United States military in 1989; soon after enlisting, his political views swung drastically to the left.

Moulitsas and the other writers that make up the "Daily Kos" use the blog as an open forum for those who consider themselves to be on the liberal side of the political spectrum. Visitors to the Daily Kos website can not only read and comment on the blog, but can also create their own account and post their own "diaries."

Martel hopes that Moulitsas will inspire students to express their political viewpoints. "I hope students can feel that they can take part in the political process," Martel said. "You don't have to be as famous as Moulitsas to blog. Anyone can do it. That's the amazing thing about this new form of media."

Some members of the journalism world are weary of blogging because it has blurred the line between journalism and opinion.

"There is controversy about blogging because it is not as carefully edited, if it is edited at all, as news stories, and there are no guidelines to assure accuracy," said SF State journalism lecturer Harriet Chiang.

SF State journalism lecturer Jon Rochmis thinks that bloggers can gain credibility by keeping journalistic standards in mind. "It's important for bloggers to learn about reporting skills: researching, reporting, being fair and finding balance," Rochmis said.

Journalism chair Venise Wagner thinks journalism students can learn something valuable from attending "Morning with The Daily Kos."

"The fact that [Moulitsa's] opinion is clear and that he and many of his bloggers research and report, places [the Daily Kos] in the realm of journalism," Wagner said. "We're not saying that [journalism] students have to choose this path, but we want them to know that this path exists- this and many others."

In addition to his blog, Moulitsas is also a journalist in the traditional sense. He is a weekly columnist at The Hill, a Washington D.C. newspaper, and is a contributing columnist at Newsweek. He is also the published author of two books.

"Morning with The Daily Kos" is a free event that is open to all SF State students. The event will take place on April 6 in Jack Adams Hall at the Cesar Chavez Student Center and will begin promptly at 9:35 a.m.