When it comes to hard-hitting news reports, CNN is my main source of information. Take any major topic such as the 2008 election, ENRON or even Michael Jackson's trial, and it will keep you updated 24 hours a day. I try to keep up with current events, and so when I have a free moment or two, I try to pop on to CNN.com to catch up on happenings across the globe.

After having done that the other day, however, I found myself extremely disheartened. When accessing my beloved news source, I found that it was no longer displaying the most prevalent of news stories, but instead had reduced itself to broadcasting tabloid-esque fodder. The other day was apparently a pretty significant day. Yes, it's true...

It was the Obama girls' first day of school.

I understand the human interest aspect of this story, and I understand that there is a certain newsy-quality to it. I do not, however, think it is acceptable to post pictures that appear to be straight out of the National Enquirer. Insert picture of 7-year-old Sasha Obama peering out of a car amid the motorcade escorting her to school. Follow this up with image of her flanked by mother Michelle Obama, her principal, and several Secret Service agents walking into the building. Paparazzi much?

CNN, what are you doing? What respectable news network creeps around documenting two elementary school girls trying to go to school? If I was 7 years old and starting at a school where I was recognized as having a certain celebrity status, you had better believe that I would not want the pictures splashed all over the Internet.

It's not appropriate to intervene in the lives of our president-elect's children, especially to that extent. It is invasive and not at all fair to Malia and Sasha, who have not asked for this attention, nor have they done anything to warrant it. There is a certain amount of respect that should be shown for the family of the man who will be running our country in just a few short weeks, and this is crossing the line.

Even worse, I went on to the Web sites of FoxNews and MSNBC, and neither of them were posting the story. Not that having multiple networks making this faux pas would somehow justify it, but at least it wouldn't be one network standing alone. The fact that the other groups had the discretion to not broadcast this only emphasizes the poor decision by CNN.

When I go to the Web site of a reputable media station, I expect news stories that are important, but also ones that do not invade the privacy of minors. I was shocked and appalled by CNN's poor taste, and hope that this does not become a precedent for the future.