SignificanceDuring the early onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, information about the novel coronaviruses’ threat permeated the news-media sphere. Over time, however, messaging and analysis of the threat began to fracture across the media landscape as pandemic mitigation efforts became politicized and experts weighed in on the emerging data on transmission and risk. We show how the media channels people relied on for COVID-related information at the onset of the pandemic are linked with distress, belief in the seriousness of the threat, and efficacy of mitigation efforts, as well as health-protective and risk-taking behaviors 6 mo later. Our results reveal that news consumers should broaden their media diets to included reputable news sources to form a better understanding of novel threats.