The excessive coverage of the scandal signals that the news media may have finally hit/reached 'the bottom of the barrel'.
Salaries in the industry are scraping/hitting 'the bottom of the barrel'. [=salaries in the industry are very low]
Several people have lost their jobs recently, so the office isn't exactly a 'barrel of laughs' these days.
(..) I'm anxious to get up to you. Thanks for coming back for me. You're in Martinez's hands now. Well, tell that asshole no barrel rolls. Copy that, mav. Pilot. Go. T-minus ten... Nine... (..)2015 The Martian