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.
(..) What happened to rescuing innocent people from the bad guys? You were so bright-eyed not long ago! Your eyes are like looking down the barrel of a gun now, - I was doin' my damn job, - I don't owe you sympathy, You know what? Just once I wish you could hear something from my point of view, (..)1994 The Glass Shield