The Honolulu Star-Advertiser and The Washington Post have formed a partnership to provide Star-Advertiser subscribers free access to The Washington Post’s digital content and increase online readership for the Post.

Starting June 1, Star-Advertiser print subscribers will get free access to all Washington Post digital content via websites and mobile apps. The Post normally charges $99 per year, or $9.99 per month, for full digital access.

"We are excited to be able to offer Star-Advertiser subscribers The Washington Post’s suite of digital news products free via the Post’s desktop and mobile websites and phone and tablet apps," said Dennis Francis, Star-Advertiser publisher and president of its parent company, Oahu Publications, Inc.

"This partnership with The Washington Post allows us to offer our local subscribers access to a wealth of national and international news and commentary produced by a legendary, Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper," Francis said.

Francis said the partnership is the latest example of how newspapers are finding ways to thrive in a digital environment that initially challenged the traditional newspaper publishing industry.

The Washington Post’s new owner, Amazon.com founder and chief executive Jeff Bezos, wants to attract more readers to the Post’s content. Bezos bought the Post in October for $250 million.

The Star-Advertiser is one of only six daily newspapers in the nation that are partnering with The Washington Post in this pilot program.

Washington Post President Stephen P. Hills said, "This program is a way for us to work with newspapers and other print and digital partners around the country to both add value to their subscriptions and expose the Post to a wider audience than ever before."

Access to The Washington Post’s digital content will be free to print subscribers of the Star-Advertiser and The Garden Island newspaper on Kauai, which is also owned by Oahu Publications.

Other newspapers taking part in the pilot program include The Dallas Morning News, The Toledo Blade, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser is the flagship publication of Oahu Publications, whose portfolio includes MidWeek, The Garden Island, the Hawaii Army Weekly, Hawaii Marine, Ho’okele Weekly, HILuxury and a growing roster of community periodicals and in-room resort magazines.