Odd yarns about dogs in the news lately - and a news presenter who slipped off the leash.

Bringing the big meth myth mess to light; pokie turn-off turns on the media; news goes to the dogs.

The next election is a long way off and new party leaders are still bedding in. But already TV news networks and their political pundits are predicting what will happen next based on the opinion polls they pay for.

The government and farming leaders spoke with one voice on the plan announced this week to combat mycoplasma bovis - but many farmers are divided on it. Their genuine anger and anguish has been front and centre in the media but awkward questions about the spread of disease have yet to be fully aired or answered.

Two of the local papers offloaded by Stuff recently have been saved. The Kaikoura Star and The Clutha Leader have been bought by local publishers prepared to take a punt on print.

Energetic editioraliser Mike Hosking angered nurses this week by inflating their employers' pay offer - just after telling the media off for "lapping up press releases."

Reading too much into political polls; M Bovis - The big call on a big cull; local publishers pick up unwanted papers; reckons without research.

In the midst of a national disease crisis, the rural press is being shaken up. Some titles are changing hands and the country's biggest news publisher Stuff is closing weekly farming papers and cutting its reporting. But its rivals say farmers are actually big fans of print and are less likely to get news online.

A machine that writes Mike Hosking opinion pieces was unveiled recently in Auckland. Just a gimmick, but artificial intelligence and machine learning are already at work in our media and could have a profound effect.

Unseasonably warm weather lately has confused some plants - and journalists.