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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- City economic leaders say Colorado Springs isn't getting a fair shake in the national media. So now they are fighting back.

The heads of the Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce and the Colorado Springs Regional Economic Development Corporation (EDC) are talking about a recent article in the Wall Street Journal.

They say the article painted an inaccurate picture of Colorado Springs as a city that is cutting all its services, and that could make it hard to attract new businesses to the area.

The head of the chamber and the head of the EDC each say they don’t want to get into a shouting match with the national media. Instead they are focusing on reminding locals why this is such a great place to work and live. They say the picture of Colorado Springs as a city without services is wrong.

And that’s what they are accusing the Wall Street Journal of publishing.

"The article was not balanced and it really focused on the negative in a community that has so many positive things that we could be talking about," said Mike Kazmierski, head of EDC.

The article talks about recent cuts to city services.

But the head of the EDC says sometimes people in other parts of the country get a distorted view of the Pikes Peak region.

"We get questions -- we got questions just last month from a prospect in California that said, 'I hear you are laying off all your police,'" said Kazmierski.

The fear is that articles like the one in the Journal will keep employers from relocating here.

"Image is everything and perception becomes some people's reality," said Dave Csintyan, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce.

Officials say Colorado Springs is proud to be a city of accountability and financial restraint. Now they say they are stressing the positive while talking to local businesses and prospective new companies.

"We say, 'You may have heard this but let me tell you what is really going on in Colorado Springs and what a great place it really is,'" Kazmierski said.

They say typically once a prospective employer visits here they are able to close the deal despite what is reported in the national media.

"Our cost of doing business is at least 30 percent less than either of the coasts," Kazmierski said.

Wednesday night the chamber and the EDC will host local businesses to talk face-to-face about what both groups are doing to make the Springs a better place to do business.

It’s free and open to the public at the Stargazers Theatre and Event Center, 10 S. Parkside Dr., Colorado Springs. The meeting is at 4:30 p.m.