Atlanta will be the host city for a precedent-shattering conference of the nation's bishops next April. For the first time, newsmen will be admitted to the meetings for first-hand coverage.

Traditionally, these semi-annual conferences of the American bishops have been held behind closed doors, with reporters dependent on secondhand sources, briefings, and handouts.

But at last week's fall conference in Washington, a vote of 144 in favor, 106 opposed, reversed tradition and opened the doors.

The bishops had clearly divided feelings about direct news coverage, which they had twice voted down in 1970.

John Cardinal Carberry of St. Louis was against it, saying that letting the press in would require "a complete reorientation of bishops' meetings." He said the plan would "muzzle some of the bishops."

Retired Bishop Fulton J. Sheen supported him. Contrasting the Catholic press with the secular, he remarked: "If we receive such criticism from the green wood of the Catholic press, what hope is there of getting better from the dry?"

Others who went on record in opposition were Bishops Romeo Blanchette of Joliet, David Maloney of Wichita, and Floyd Begin of Oakland. Auxiliary Bishop Gerald McDivitt of Philadelphia said that the bishops already give out enough information about their meetings.

Chief among the advocates was Archbishop Philip Hannan of New Orleans, who played a major role in the two-year struggle over the press admission issue. Bishop John May of Mobile, another supporter, referred to the May 1971 Vatican pastoral instruction on the media. While the document did not specifically say the press should go into episcopal conferences, he said, its spirit was one of openness to the press. Later, Bishop May told reporters that the pastoral letter played a decisive role in the approval vote.

Bishop Raymond Gallagher of Lafayette, Ind., stressed the importance of the mass media and voiced the fear that bishops are losing credibility with the press. He said that a more favorable climate needed to be created, even though some bishops had had some unpleasant experiences with certain journalists.

Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Grady of Chicago endorsed the idea, noting that newsmen at present "are given information, but not the total context" when they report bishops' meetings. Bishop Francis Hurley of Juneau, Alaska, who came to the conference with a television camera crew from his city, urged direct TV coverage of bishops' meetings.

Archbishop Francis Furey of San Antonio remarked that letters he had received from journalists "gave us a real insight into the problems of the press in their efforts to cover the bishops' meetings adequately."

Auxiliary Bishop Walter F. Sullivan of Richmond, VA, said that without admission of the press, the bishops would appear to be talking to themselves.

The final resolution that was passed is far wider in scope than either of the two draft proposals which were defeated in 1970. This one applies to both the U.S. Catholic Conference and the National Conference of Bishops. The earlier two applied only to the USCC.

With admission of newsmen now permitted as a result of the favorable vote, a large number of representatives of the secular and religious press will be expected in Atlanta next April.

The bishops have also agreed to admit about 20 "auditors," observers chosen from the clergy, laity and religious life. The admission of the auditors was approved in a separate vote -- 169 to 76 -- after separate discussion. Cardinal James McIntyre, retired Archbishop of Los Angeles, was strongly opposed to letting others into the meetings, saying the bishops would be committing suicide if they allowed it. The cardinal said an important principle was involved -- the hierarchical as opposed to the democratic organization of the Church.