[6] After graduating summa cum laude from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism,[7] Jacobs began his career as a reporter at a small Pulitzer Prize-winning weekly, the Point Reyes Light, in Marin County, California.

[8] His stint there led to stops at a number of San Francisco-based publications, including Sierra magazine, the short-lived Bay Citizen, and Mother Jones[9], where he worked closely with fellow Medill alum Clara Jeffrey.

[6] After Mother Jones, he joined The Atlantic's global channel, where he covered international crime and other foreign affairs from Washington, D.C., under Olga Khazan and J.J. Gould.

His reporting for The Atlantic was cited and featured by the New York Times,[10] Esquire,[11] Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's 'Q' radio program, and author Naomi Klein.

[6] During Jacobs' tenure at Pacific Standard, stories he has edited have won a Mirror Award,[12] helped launch major books,[13][14][15][16] influenced network television, and received mention in the Best American Essays anthology.