A study by the Center for Media and Public Affairs (CMPA) shows that mainstream media is overwhelmingly on the side of John Kerry: Networks Praise Kerry. (Hat tip: Barak Moore.)

* Evaluations of John Kerry were positive by a two-to-one margin, while evaluations of George W. Bush were over 60 percent negative.

* Among non-partisan sources, Kerry’s evaluations were almost three-to-one positive; Bush’s were over two-to-one negative.

* Among the networks, the gap between the candidates was largest on NBC; the coverage was most balanced on ABC.

* Kerry’s proportion of good press declined in August, but he still fared far better than Bush until the GOP convention.

* Bush got better than Kerry only during the GOP convention, which also was the only time he received a majority of positive evaluations.

* Based on CMPA’s previous studies of primary and general election coverage, Kerry has gotten the best press on network news of any presidential nominee since we began tracking election news in 1988.