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Rhode Islanders Smell Something Fishy with New Tourism Campaign

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Rhode Islanders Smell Something Fishy with New Tourism Campaign


The latest Rhode Island tourism campaign continues to have a bumpy start to 2024.

In an effort to highlight the beauty and culture of Rhode Island, Rhode Island Tourism launched a new marketing campaign, accompanied by a new slogan and new initiatives to highlight the beauty and culture of the state.

The only problem is that the “local initiative” seems to be run by an out-of-towner.

Crawfish Raises Eyebrows

In a since-deleted social media post, Rhode Island tourism promoted a certain kind of seafood that is not typically associated with Rhode Island and the community was quick to call it out.

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What’s Going On in Rhode Island shared the “blunder by the RI tourism campaign,” where the campaign promotes crawfish as local Rhode Island seafood.

Yes, Rhode Island is home to restaurants that serve seafood boils and offer crawfish, but it is rarely seen among other local offerings like clam cakes and chowder.

“When you hire out-of-state agencies to promote Rhode Island, this is what happens,” said the popular outlet.

The post has locals wondering if Rhode Islanders even run the new tourism initiative.

“This is what happens when you don’t hire folks that live here and know our resources,” said one online user.

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“So many talented in-state agencies…use them!!!” said another.

The Crawfish Post, Explained

Fun 107 contacted RI Tourism to inquire about the photo and see if the campaign is being run by a third party outside of Rhode Island.

Matthew Touchette, the Rhode Island Director of Public Affairs, provided helpful information.

“That picture was taken from the Charlestown Seafood Festival, a popular seafood festival in South County” he said. “Rhode Island is so much more than stuffies and lobsters, clam cakes and chowder…we have a very diverse seafood chain, and crawfish is one of them.”

In regards to using a third-party agency, Touchette was transparent in saying the state works very closely with an agency based in Florida, but any posts created by the agency must be approved by the Rhode Island team.

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In the case of the crawfish post, it was solely created by the RI Tourism team.

Why Not Use a Local Marketing Agency?

“I understand that there are local companies that offer marketing and advertising and public relations services, but we don’t just hire a company,” he explained. “We are a government agency, we have to do an RFP.”

An RFP, or a request for proposal, is a project announcement posted publicly by an organization indicating that bids for contractors to complete the project are sought.

“When that goes out, anyone can apply,” he said. “In this case, the agency (in Florida) scored the highest and they got the contract.”

Many Rhode Islanders were steamed about the crawfish post, but truthfully, crawfish can be found in 43 locations across the state, according to the DEM.

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Food for thought: While we may typically be paired with clam cakes and chowder, the new RI Tourism initiative is here to show the diversity of the cuisine and culture.

20 SouthCoast Massachusetts and Rhode Island Dishes That Deserve to Be Featured on the Food Network

Take a dive into the freshest seafood dishes, Italian specialties, Portuguese favorites and much more for these signature SouthCoast dishes that are so good, they deserve to be featured on the Food Network.

Gallery Credit: Gazelle

See the Stars Who Own Homes in Rhode Island

There are plenty of celebrities who once called Rhode Island home, but how many still do? Here’s the list of stars who own homes across the Ocean State.

Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall

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20 Stars Who Hail From Rhode Island

Rhode Island may be the smallest state in the nation, but it has been home to many celebrities. Though some have moved here, filmed here or attended school here, only a handful were actually born here. These are those celebrities.

Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall





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2 dead, 1 seriously hurt after crash on I-95 South in Warwick

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2 dead, 1 seriously hurt after crash on I-95 South in Warwick


WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) — Two people are dead and another person seriously hurt after a crash involving two vehicles on the highway in Warwick Saturday.

Rhode Island State Police said the crash happened around 1:34 p.m. on the ramp from Route 113 West to I-95 South.

According to police, a Hyundai SUV that was driving in the middle lane of the highway started to drift to the right, crossed the first lane, and then crossed onto the on-ramp lane. The car struck the guardrail twice before driving through the grass median.

The Hyundai then struck the driver’s side of a Mercedes SUV that was on the ramp, causing the Mercedes to roll over and come to a rest. The impact sent the Hyundai over the guardrail and down an embankment.

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The driver of the Hyundai, a 73-year-old man, and his passenger, a 69-year-old woman, were both pronounced dead at the hospital.

A woman who was in the Mercedes was rushed to Rhode Island Hospital in critical condition.

State police said all lanes of traffic were reopened by 4:30 p.m.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts.

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Judge rejects DOJ push for Rhode Island voter information

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Judge rejects DOJ push for Rhode Island voter information


A federal judge on Friday tossed the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) lawsuit aiming to force Rhode Island to hand over its voter information as part of the Trump administration’s push to acquire voter data from several states.

Rhode Island U.S. District Court Judge Mary McElroy wrote that federal law does not allow the DOJ “to conduct the kind of fishing expedition it seeks here,” siding with Rhode Island election officials. She added that the DOJ did not provide evidence to suggest that Rhode Island violated election law.

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McElroy, a Trump appointee, wrote that she sided with the similar decision in Oregon. That decision ruled that the DOJ was not entitled to unredacted voter registration lists.

“Absent from the demand are any factual allegations suggesting that Rhode Island may be violating the list maintenance requirements,” she said in her ruling.

Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore (D) praised McElroy’s decision. He said in a statement that the Trump administration “seems to have no problem taking actions that are clear Constitutional overreaches, regularly meddling in responsibilities that are the rights of the states.”

“Today’s decision affirms our position: the United States Department of Justice has no legal right to – or need for – the personally-identifiable information in our voter file,” he said. “Voter list maintenance is a responsibility entrusted to the states, and I remain confident in the steps we take here in Rhode Island to keep our list as accurate as possible.”

The Hill reached out to the DOJ for comment.

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The DOJ called for the voter lists as it investigated Rhode Island’s compliance with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, which allowed Americans to register to vote when they apply for a driver’s license.

The DOJ sued at least 30 states, as well as Washington, D.C., in December demanding their respective voter data. This data includes birth dates, names and partial Social Security numbers.

At least 12 states have given or said they will give the DOJ their voter registration lists, according to a tracker operated by the Brennan Center for Justice.

The department stated after it lost a similar suit against Massachusetts earlier this month that it had “sweeping powers” to access the voter data and that, if states fail to comply, courts have a “limited, albeit vital, role” in directing election officers on behalf of the administration to produce the records. The DOJ cited the Civil Rights Act as being intended to unearth alleged election law violations.

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Single Dad Says Grandparents’ Rights Trial Has Cost Him More Than $500K, but He'll Do ‘Whatever It Takes’ to Keep Daughter Safe

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Single Dad Says Grandparents’ Rights Trial Has Cost Him More Than 0K, but He'll Do ‘Whatever It Takes’ to Keep Daughter Safe


As the two-year anniversary of his wife’s death approaches, widowed single father Scott Naso is sounding an alarm to fellow parents across the country — and especially in Rhode Island, where he lives with his now 4-year-old daughter, Laila.



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